Matters of Black and White
by okfinehereaname
Summary: The paths Shen took in the past seem only to lead deeper into darkness. But through the eyes of those who have woven themselves into his life, a new story unfolds-one leading away from old misery and guilt-that may yet bring him redemption. Slight AU.
1. Chapter 1

This is literally my first fanfic ever. I took up writing it to ease my impatience as I waited for other KFP fics to update, but it's actually been kind of fun. My main concern is that I'm not incredibly boring. :/

I think I've somehow been influenced by _A Song of Ice and Fire_ because the story is told through several different characters including an OC I created who I hope hope hope can stand up to scrutiny, especially considering how well done the canon characters are. This is the first chapter in which I introduce the slightly AU setting. It takes place after Po gets shot in the factory and the Five are captured. I tried to make the setup as clear as possible without me saying anything more than that.

Hope you like.

Edit (3/17/12): Summary added, typo corrected.  
>Summary: The paths Shen took in the past seem only to lead deeper into darkness. But through the eyes of those who have woven themselves into his life, a new story unfolds-one leading away from old misery and guilt-that may yet bring him redemption. Slight AU. <strong>Chapter 1-After defeating Po and capturing the Furious Five in the fireworks factory, Shen makes his campaign across China, only to be hindered by a invading force from the north. Meanwhile, Po makes a slow recovery and seeks to save his friends.<strong>

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><p>Chapter 1.<p>

Shen surveyed the windswept battlefield. The landscape of his triumph was painted in the black and red of soot and fire—colors he loved best. The sounds of final cannon shots were muffled by the thick air and the roars of leftover flames. He swayed, feeling unsteady for moment, when the Wolf Boss bounded up to his side.

"Master, are you alright?" he asked.

Shen paused to examine his surroundings once more, breathing in the scent of victory. "More than alright. I am perfect," he said with a light smirk. He looked at his lieutenant sharply. "Well? Do you have something to say? I should think you haven't come just to inquire about my health."

The wolf flinched and scratched at an ear sheepishly. "Uh, right, sorry. The barbarians are on the run. They're in chaos, sir. I've got my men chasing down the broken bits of their army."

"Excellent. Make sure to leave a few stragglers. I want them to tell their people stories of the one who brought their hoard to pathetic submission," Shen said, stretching to his fullest height.

"Yes, sir," the Wolf Boss grinned.

He turned, ready to head back to his men, when Shen added, "Tell them to hurry and clean up here. Tomorrow, we're going home." The Wolf Boss saluted before leaving Shen to his thoughts.

The lord returned to his tent and slumped in a chair, exhausted. It was true, he had won the battle, but subjugating the massive barbarian hoard had been an entirely new ordeal compared to harassing the relatively peaceful provinces into submission with large weapons. Frankly, he hadn't even expected the foreign invasion while he was making his campaign across China. The victory had been earned through a great deal of bloodshed, and the fighting had intensified to the point that Shen had been fearful of being overwhelmed. Even he had been caught in the midst of the fray several times, though his Wolf Boss had faithfully stood by his side through all of it. Shen snorted softly. He supposed one day he should thank the dog for his loyalty.

In any case, his army was rather in shambles itself, many cannons had been damaged or outright destroyed, and secretly, Shen found himself longing for Gongmen City, the closest thing he had ever had to a home. He hoped things were still in working order there, hoped that the Furious Five and the Kung Fu Council had not somehow escaped to avenge the death of their precious Dragon Warrior.

He smiled to himself at the thought. For the first time in his life, something had gone exactly the way he wanted it. The idiot panda waltzed straight into his hands, straight into the crosshairs of Shen's hidden cannon, all for the sake of finding the truth about his past. Not that Shen bothered to tell him the truth before killing him. The look on his enemy's face when he lied about the panda's parents abandoning him was almost worth his entire exile—almost. Maybe seeing the Soothsayer's reaction to her prophecy being made wrong would make up for the rest of it.

Shen sighed at the thought of exile. He had been away for thirty long years, dreaming of the day he would look across every corner of China and call it his own. For thirty long years, he had lived in smoke and heat and gunpowder and all alone. Surrounded by wolves and gorillas, yes, but despite their numbers, he had been alone nevertheless.

_What do you think of me now?_ he thought to no one in particular_. Who dares laugh at me? Who dares to whisper behind my back? Who dares scorn me now that I am the most powerful being in all of China?_

The faces of his parents floated into his mind, and he hissed with annoyance. Bitterly, he muttered, "Who dares to be ashamed of me, now that I have achieved everything?"

* * *

><p><em><span>Po.<span>_

Po was sitting on the edge of the broken porch watching the rain drip down from the rafters. Everything about this scene was so familiar now, all the memories pouring down on him with the rain. Just days ago, he had found out the truth—the real truth, not Shen's version—about how he ended up in that radish crate so long ago. He'd figured out that awesome move Master Shifu showed him too, but despite it being the coolest thing he'd ever done in his life, it didn't seem quite as monumental as the knowledge that came with it.

The Soothsayer was cooking something in her old iron pot, and Po felt his hunger interrupt his thoughts sharply. He struggled to his feet and headed inside. Here in the panda village, he was secluded from the goings on of Gongmen City.

_I hope Tigress isn't going to be too mad at me for not listening to her_, he thought. Things had been going downhill quickly in the fireworks factory, and when he took that shot…Po shuddered at the thought of what might have happened if that wok hadn't protected him. _I'm running out of time though._

"Come and eat, Po," the Soothsayer said, holding a bowl to him. He thanked her quietly and sat down with her.

"Are you feeling a little better?" she asked.

"Pff, better, are you kidding?" Po said, trying to revive his old enthusiasm. "The Dragon Warrior is back in action!" He jumped to his feet for effect, but a sharp pain rang through his gut where the cannonball had made impact, and he sank back down, shaking the old shack. The Soothsayer pursed her lips at him, and the floor creaked in annoyance.

"You still need time to heal," she said. "If you rush to face Shen, he will not hesitate to shoot you again. And he will make sure to aim at a less…protected part of you."

"You're calling me fat aren't you? I mean, I guess it's just payback for mistaking you for a dude, but still, that seems a bit low, don't you think?" Po said, grinning.

The Soothsayer smiled, glad that he was starting to get his sense of humor back. She had been worried about him after his memories of that horrible day had returned to him, but every time she tried to talk to him, he would push her away, pretending he was just tired or hungry. In truth, the panda was almost as stubborn as Shen when it came to revealing what they were really feeling on the inside. She sighed, wondering if it had anything to do with trying to uphold some illusion of strength.

"It's just killing me to sit around like this," Po said at last. "My friends are being held hostage, and I've been sitting here for who knows how long! A true kung fu warrior would not let them wait for this long because of a little injury! I'm sorry, Miss Soothsayer, but I really don't think I can wait here any longer."

"Even with Shen away, you cannot do this alone! He would have expected someone to try and break them out. I've been getting news of what has been happening in the city, and you and I both know just how heavily guarded Gongmen Jail is right now," the Soothsayer said sternly.

"Yeah, well I know I gotta do something before they die of old age waiting for me."

"If you act rashly, old age will be the last thing they have to worry about. As long as Shen thinks you are dead, he will not feel threatened. It may sound terrible, but your friends are useful to him alive. What do you think has been keeping your Master Shifu at bay all this time?"

"But—but…Aghhh! I hate this!" Po groaned in frustration. "What do you think we should do then?"

The Soothsayer paused, thinking. "I suggest you return to the Valley of Peace…"

"What?" Po interjected. "You mean give up?"

"No, no, I mean get help. Like I said, as long as Shen has a sense of security, your friends' lives are not in danger. If you reveal yourself at all in the city, that security will vanish like smoke. This is a matter that will require great care and teamwork. I doubt you will find much help for you here."

Po rubbed his face, annoyed at the delay. He hated waiting! It was so much easier when all he and the five had to do was rush into a crowd of bandits and kick butt. But he knew the Soothsayer was right. It wasn't just dumb bandits this time. He was dealing with Lord Shen, psychotic, evil, murderous peacock warlord who had his best friends' lives in the palm of his hand.

"It's settled then. I'm leaving tonight."


	2. Chapter 2

I actually had finished chapter 3 before I even posted this fic, but recently, while on a vacation, I realized there was a gaping plot hole the size of a cannonball wound. So instead of having a nice buffer, I ended up having to completely revise Po and the OC's part of the plot, and rewrite the entire Po section of this chapter. This is why I don't like posting as I write. There's always something stupid that I left out or didn't think of. Hopefully, I can keep things relatively coherent as the story progresses.

Let me know if you see any typos that I might have missed or if you notice any other plot holes (though I may have to handwave them if fixing it becomes too frustrating.)

Summary: The paths Shen took in the past seem only to lead deeper into darkness. But through the eyes of those who have woven themselves into his life, a new story unfolds-one leading away from old misery and guilt-that may yet bring him redemption. Slight AU. **Chapter 2-Shen returns to a crowd of cheering people, having accidentally made himself a hero of China. Meanwhile, Po discovers the Valley of Peace has been in turmoil.**

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><p>Chapter 2.<p>

_Shen._

Shen freely admitted to himself that the last thing he expected to hear upon returning to Gongmen City was the sound of applause. But there it was, roaring in his ears. There were crowds of people in the streets, all cheering, and they were directing their celebrations at him! He glanced at the Wolf Boss who raised an eyebrow and shrugged before grinning toothily and waving at their new admirers. People were shouting at him all at once, and Shen could barely make out snippets of what they were saying.

"—You saved China!"

"—I guess those guns aren't all bad after all…"

"—Those horrible barbarians would have destroyed everything."

Oh. Was that what this was about? Word of his victory must have traveled fast he mused. Today was another day for "firsts" in Shen's book. No one had ever cheered at _him_, and so he amused himself by following in the Wolf Boss's stead and waving.

Not that he thought himself a hero. Not that he did any of this for them. That hoard had been a threat to _his_ empire, and he crushed them the same way he would crush anyone else who dared oppose him. Shen and his entourage entered the mansion that had been his temporary home while the Tower of Sacred Flame was rebuilt.

"Heheh, that was pretty great, dontcha think, Lord Shen?" the Wolf Boss asked, still smiling smugly.

"Yes, I suppose you aren't used to many people applauding the sight of your mangy hide," Shen smirked.

"I don't think any of us are used to it…" But the Wolf Boss stopped when Shen glowered at him. "I-I mean, I'm sure you've heard a lot of it, sir."

"I have no need of you now. Go make sure those gorillas are taking proper care when they stash my precious cannons," Shen said, waving his wing dismissively. He shut himself in his chambers, changed into his sleeping robes and nestled into his bed, letting his aching body relax at last.

Something puzzled him though. At long last, he had found admiration in the eyes of the people around him, but why so suddenly? They hated him before. He hated to admit it, but the Wolf Boss was right. No one applauded _any_ of them, ever. They hated his color; they hated his experiments; they hated his creations; they hated him…until there had been a convenient common enemy and one who didn't care about what color or species it destroyed. Then suddenly, he was "the hero of China?" What did these people want from him?

Shen remembered long ago when he had tried to open up to his future citizens, but they had shied away in fear of his ghostly complexion. He was an anomaly, and people feared anomalies, and people hated what they feared. Now, they had simply found something they feared—and thus hated—even more. How comforting.

Age-old bitterness crept up on him once more as he realized that despite successfully conquering half of China, despite earning the admiration of his citizens, Shen did not feel happy.

When he woke up the next morning, it took him a while to decide whether or not the previous day had been a dream. Certainly, it had felt real enough but the circumstances seemed too good to be true. He wandered to his war room, taking comfort at the sight of the battle plans that lay strewn across the long table. Here was where he felt at home.

Shen seated himself and spread out his maps and war reports. During his campaign, he had swept to the north, taking all of the eastern coast. He had been making his way inland when he caught word of the barbarian hoard migrating across the northern border.

Perhaps that was what had been making him unhappy. He hadn't finished conquering China. Yes, that had to be it. He couldn't be truly satisfied until he had accomplished his goal in its entirety. Unfortunately, after the intense battle, his forces had suffered many losses. Shen was no idiot; better to tie up loose ends and secure the fort before heading out again.

The Wolf Boss stalked into the room. "Mornin', Lord Shen. The cannons are all safely locked away. We lost quite a lot of them." He lowered his eyes. "We lost a lot of wolves too," he added quietly.

Shen nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I was thinking we would take some time to rebuild here before continuing the campaign. I still have my sights on the remaining provinces…possibly the rest of the continent too."

"We won't be leaving any time soon will we? My men have been away from their families for a while. They need to rest. They're not like cannons, sir. I can't just pull more of them out of a molten pot when we start to run out," the Wolf Boss said carefully. As of late, he was growing increasingly tired of his lord's utter lack of concern for the safety of his pack. He'd take the heat for not bothering to tip-toe on eggshells around his master if it meant his men could take some well-deserved time off.

Surprisingly, Shen delivered no reprimand. "Yes, yes, whatever you like," he muttered distractedly. The Wolf Boss blinked dumbly, then padded away. Had Shen even listened to a word he said? Well, at least he had something he could hold the peacock to if he caught hell later on.

Shen had, in fact, been listening. _That's right. I almost forgot. They have their own lives too_, he thought vaguely. He wasn't sure why he was suddenly pondering such things when he had never given them a second thought in the past. _Don't forget about those pandas either_, a nasty little voice in the back of his head reminded him. That voice had whispered everything he never wanted to hear throughout his entire life. It liked to remind him that he was a coward, a failure, and always, always alone. And now it was trying to make him feel guilty about those pandas when he really shouldn't be. What he hated most about that voice was its tone of smugness, how it always sounded like it was right.

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><p><em><span>Po.<span>_

Po was beginning to get sick of being around water. He had left Gongmen City four days ago. The Soothsayer had set him up with a kind fisherman who had been willing to take his boat up the winding river into the Valley of Peace. It was a roundabout way to get there and their destination was still several days away. The Soothsayer insisted that Po go by boat. He would be less conspicuous, and she had dropped several hints about his poor endurance. The fisherman was a droopy-eyed goose who nodded vacantly at every one of Po's awkward attempts at making conversation. Soon, even the perseverant Po had to give up, and contented himself with listening to the sloshing of water that lapped at the side of the boat.

_Maybe the Soothsayer is in on some plot to kill me by BOREDOM, _Po's thoughts screamed. Steamed fish was great for the first few days, but at the moment, Po would have killed for his dad's noodles. His shoulders drooped as he thought of his dad and how happy he would be to see him…and how heartbroken when he realized Po would be going right back into the heart of danger again.

Occasionally, Po could see the silhouette of another boat heading downriver, materializing out of the mist. When they had been closer to Gongmen City, Po kept out of sight, staying in the cabin of the boat. He was glad to stretch his legs now that he was closer to home and amongst friends. _Two days away from Dad's cooking_, he thought with a smile.

They had just passed a shoddy canoe when Po heard a noise. It was soft and could have been a whisper from a passing wave, but something told him it was different. He sat up and looked around the boat, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Shrugging, he turned back around, and right before him stood Master Shifu.

"AHAAARRGGHHH!" Po flailed his arms and fell backward with a thud, rocking the boat. The goose hurried to investigate, but Shifu waved him away.

"Do not trouble yourself, sir," Po's master said quietly, his eyes never leaving the great black and white figure before him.

"Master Shifu? What are you doing here? You…you nearly scared the pants off me!" Po said, breathing heavily. "I mean, was that teleporting thing really necessary?"

"Po, it's really you. I-I wasn't sure if I was being deceived or not, but I'm quite certain now," Shifu said with a pained smile. "They said you were dead by Shen's hand."

"It'll take more than that to stop me," said Po with a grin, but his master didn't seem to appreciate it.

"It's a good thing we met," his master said gravely. "I have a guess as to why you've come back to the Valley, but you're in just as great danger here as you were back in the city. While you were away, Lord Shen sent a regiment of wolves and some sellswords to occupy the city. Obviously, he didn't feel safe enough leaving Gongmen unattended with the Five imprisoned there. The citizens of the Valley are under constant vigilance and oppression. They tried to apprehend me as well, but that's no easy feat."

"You mean…the Valley is-"

"Taken over," Shifu finished. "I've hidden away in the mountains in a place where the wolves would not think to look. I've gathered a small group of rebels but our numbers and resources are so limited that the best we can do is make hit-and-run assaults to give the villagers a bit of reprieve from those marauders."

"What about my dad?" Po asked quietly.

"He's in the Valley still, but my informers have said that he's faring as well as anyone." Master Shifu had pity in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Po. We have to be careful. Any misstep, and those wolves will starting hurting innocents. The entire Valley is held hostage. That was Shen's intent."

"Well he obviously didn't intend on me," Po said, slamming a fist into his hand. At that point, Po noticed that the covered canoe had come up alongside the boat, its oars fighting the current. The cover lifted and a somber rabbit appeared, glancing at Shifu.

"Grand Master, are we changing course?" he asked.

"Yes. I'll ask the good fisherman if he would let us hitch a ride. An engine would be most helpful to you, I think."

The old goose consented eagerly, and Po realized his silences must have come from an overwhelming exhaustion after dealing with wolves and gods knew what else for so long. The pace was even slower now that there was a second boat in tow, but Po found his spirits lifted by the company. Master Shifu helped guide the fisherman up the river and when they came to a fork, took one that led away from the docks in the Valley. Their path took them through thick underbrush, and they eventually had to stop and tie up the boats when the water became too shallow for the larger fishing boat to traverse.

"The way to the hideout isn't too far from here. Po, I have to warn you, there is a bit a climbing involved," Shifu said with a wry smile, though it faded quickly enough.

They arrived at the foot of the mountain, and Po felt his mouth open a little as he watched his master and the rabbit hop nimbly up the rocky path. He glanced at the goose who stared back balefully, then started to flutter clumsily after them. _A bit of climbing? Knowing Master Shifu, the hideout is probably at the very top of the whole dang mountain! He coulda picked a nice cave or something. Why's it always climbing?_ Grudgingly, he began to pull himself up after them, glad of his kung fu training.

After several breaks and many complaints, they finally reached their destination. In the side of the mountain was a deep chasm, pooled with cold water that dripped from the ceiling. Moisture hung in the air, and Po could hear the thundering of a nearby waterfall.

"If it weren't for the waterfall, I'm sure the entire Valley would have been alerted to your presence," Shifu said, half in jest and half in reproach. "Perhaps even Lord Shen himself could hear your professed loathing of climbing all the way in Gongmen City."

The cave ran deep, and they all would have been blind, but for the oil lamps that had been placed along the walls. At the end of the descent was a giant cavern, fanged with stalactites and dotted with pools of water. Makeshift tents had been pitched throughout and fires flickered in front of them, filling the cavern with a pleasant warmth that warded away the dampness. Heads poked from the tents and soon the cave began to echo with cries of surprise, joy, and relief.

"The Dragon Warrior!" the walls seemed to shout, so great were the shouts of excitement. "He's back!"

Po smiled and greeted the people, glad that he could inspire such hope in eyes that, not a few moments earlier, seemed so dim with dejection. Master Shifu had to clear his throat and beckon him away from the throng to a large tent in the center of the cavern.

"I'm not sure if you know this," Shifu began as soon as they were in the privacy of the tent, "but Shen has returned from his campaign. To be honest, I expected him to be away for quite a bit longer than he has. It can't be that he conquered all of China in such a short time. Something must have happened that forced him back.

"This is problematic for my plans," he continued. "Using that river, we've been sending scouts to Gongmen City ever since I have been able to organize a cohesive resistance group. I had been hoping to gather enough information to free the Furious Five so they could first of all oust the occupation of the Valley and second, remove Shen from Gongmen City. His return complicates everything. It would have been far easier to do it while only his lackeys remained in control of the city. But now…" Master Shifu frowned in frustration. "If only I knew why he returned so soon."

"Well, the Soothsayer sent me here to find help, and I did what she said, even though I wanted to just go in and break my friends out right there and then. She said it was too dangerous though," Po said.

"Who is the Soothsayer?" Master Shifu asked, raising an eyebrow.

"She was a prisoner of Shen's, I think. It was kind of confusing because she was always in his presence instead of a dungeon, acting sort of like an advisor, but she saved my life when I was shot. She said something about fulfilling my destiny," Po said.

"Whoever she is, she's right about it being too dangerous to go barging into the city. Shen made his threats very clear when he captured them and took over the Valley. He wants me out of the picture," said Shifu. "If we are to rescue the Five though, we have to act soon. I think I'll send out another scouting group-"

Po stood up abruptly. "Enough scouting! My friends are in trouble, and…it's my fault they're there. I did what the Soothsayer said. I came for help. Now that I've found it, _I'm going back_."

Without a word, Master Shifu whipped out his staff with lightning speed and struck Po in the belly. The blow was not forceful, but pain rocketed through his body all the same, and he dropped to his knees, clutching his stomach.

"Arghh! What. Was. That for?" Po gasped.

"To make a point," Shifu said severely.

"What point?" Po shouted. He could feel his eyes glazing from the spasms of pain that were only slowly fading away.

"You're not ready to face Shen! The fact is, none of us are. We have to be fast, and above all things, _careful_. A good master knows his students, but it doesn't take a genius to know that despite your being the Dragon Warrior, you are profoundly lacking in patience. I don't know what you did that makes you convinced the Five's capture is your fault, but if you rush into a situation without thinking, you could put their lives in danger as well as anyone else involved in their rescue. You need more time to heal. I want you to stay put. Your place is in the Valley."

"No," Po said through clenched teeth. "I made this mess. _I _have to be the one to fix it. How will I know that these people aren't going to be any worse at keeping their heads? They haven't fought with Shen, talked to Shen. They haven't seen what his cannons can do-"

"They are more informed than you think. You have responsibilities as the Dragon Warrior and one of them is letting go of glory and putting trust in others!" Shifu argued, his voice rising slightly.

"This isn't about glory! You really think that's what it's about?" Po demanded. "It's about a deranged evil peacock who's got his claws on my friends. You're right. Their lives _are_ in danger, and I need to put an end to it. I've got to finish what I started." He lowered his voice. "I always have. I don't think I could live it down if I didn't. Especially not this time."

Shifu's gaze softened as well. "Po, I understand how difficult this is for you, but imagine how I am feeling too. I thought I had lost you. I honestly did. Now you're back, and you're safe. Do you think I'd really want to send you off into the crosshairs of Shen's cannons again when you almost died because of it? If it makes you feel better, when we've organized the rescue plan, I will see it through myself. Just give me one more scouting run, and I promise you, I will bring them all back. But for once, just this once, Po, don't try to be a hero."

Po met his master's eyes and finally, with a heaving sigh, answered, "Just this once."


	3. Chapter 3

I'd like to thank my reviewers first of all. Since I last posted a chapter, my email notification hasn't told me I received new reviews but upon realizing that I have, I was motivated to hustle and finish this chapter. Here I introduce my OC and I hope that's not a turn off. I worked really hard to make her a good character because I'm deathly terrified of creating a Mary-Sue. It's to the point that if you think she's Sueish, tell me nice and slow-like or I might trip out.

I'm also trying to go with writing only one character POV per chapter so I hope that's alright. Gonna work really hard to keep a consistent update schedule. Sometimes I get lazy.

Anyway, enjoy, and I apologize in advance for the incredibly lame puns.

Summary: The paths Shen took in the past seem only to lead deeper into darkness. But through the eyes of those who have woven themselves into his life, a new story unfolds-one leading away from old misery and guilt-that may yet bring him redemption. Slight AU. **Chapter 3-A new face is introduced.**

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

_Min._

Min was huddled at one of the fires in the cavern when the first shouts of "Dragon Warrior!" rose in the stagnant air. Her only companions were a grass snake coiled in her lap and a large rat who poked at the embers with a knife.

"The Dragon Warrior?" Min could scarcely believe what she had heard.

"I thought he was dead," said the rat.

"We'd better go check it out. Lien," Min said, tapping the dozing snake. "Wake up."

"I'm up," Lien groaned and slithered off Min's lap and onto the stone floor. "Cold!" she hissed and shot back up onto Min, wrapping herself around the peahen's shoulders.

"That's what you get for being cold-blooded," the rat said with a smirk.

"Shut it, Wing," Lien snapped at him. The rat called Wing only snorted and scampered ahead to see what the fuss was about at the mouth of the cave.

Min fluttered onto a rock outcropping and peered over the heads of the other members of the resistance. The large panda lumbered through the group, courteously greeting his public. Beside him, the Grand Master walked, seeming impatient to lead him away.

"Didn't the Grand Master just go out to scout Gongmen a few days ago?" asked Lien.

"Yes, but it looks like he must have met the Dragon Warrior on the way out of the Valley," Min answered. "This is great though! At least we have one actual real warrior to help the Grand Master out."

Min and her friends had helped perform some scouting and raids since they arrived at the encampment a week prior. The three of them lived in the outer villages of the Valley where the species of the residents varied a bit more than in the central village near the Jade Palace. When Lord Shen's wolves took over and started bullying the locals, Min had lashed out in rash defiance and had been forced to flee.

The peahen rubbed the bridge of her beak. She hadn't done anything so stupid and brash in a while, but the wolf invasion had struck a nerve. Min had arrived in the Valley a few years back after running across provinces to get as far away from home as possible. She found exactly what she had wanted in the Valley: simplicity, tranquility, and above all, humility. Just when Min was starting to feel that she could leave the past behind and start anew, the wolves had come.

The name Shen carried a trace of familiarity for Min. She figured she had heard of it a long time ago probably from her mother. Even without the title of "lord," she recognized it as a highborn name. _What I wanted was to leave all those stupid titles behind_, she thought in annoyance. _Now it all just comes back to interfere in my life one way or another_. Min remembered the scattering villagers and the wolves who knocked over tables and market stalls and shoved anyone who stumbled into their path. People like Shen seemed to think that being a lord meant it was perfectly fine to ruin the peace and livelihoods of people. Min only knew too well that it was always the innocents who suffered most when nobles decided to play their games of power.

"Min, you're going to rub your beak raw," Lien chided. Min paused in surprise, only just realizing what she had been doing while caught in her thoughts. "The Dragon Warrior and Grand Master are talking in the main tent," Lien added.

"I saw. I was just thinking, we should go on the next mission to Gongmen, whatever it is," said Min.

"What's this I hear?" Wing interrupted, hopping up onto the rock. "You could have told me you got a nice view of the Dragon Warrior without having to squeeze past people's legs."

"Well, I don't know about the two of you, but whether it's just another scouting run or whether we're going to bust out the Furious Five, I'm going back to Gongmen. I'm sick of this Lord Shen stomping his forces up and down the Valley like a big shot," Min spat.

"Oh please," Wing simpered, "you know I'm your wingman."

"Can't leave without me. Just make sure Wing doesn't try any more puns. I think wolves can smell the really bad ones," Lien said.  
>"Why? 'Cause they stink?" the rat smirked.<p>

"Oh by the gods," Min muttered as Lien groaned.

The Grand Master called a meeting before dinner, and everyone gathered around the fire at the central tent.

"As you know, the Dragon Warrior has returned to us safely," Master Shifu began. "Unfortunately, he is still injured, so I must remind you not to let your guards down simply because Po is here. Our missions will still require the utmost care and preparation no matter the circumstances. I am issuing one more reconnaissance mission before we launch a full-force rescue job. Again, this is the final scouting mission before we make our move. Any volunteers, please-"

"We volunteer," Min said, pushing her way through to the front with Lien draped over her shoulders and Wing dogging her heels.

Master Shifu blinked at the interruption. "Thank you, Min. Does anyone contest Min's participation?" No one moved. "Good," Shifu continued, "let's continue the briefing in the tent. The rest of you are dismissed for your meal. I have a very specific agenda and wish to keep this team small."

The refugees dispersed, and Min and her companions followed Master Shifu and Po into the tent. "Three is a small group," she commented.

"If you have second thoughts, please let me know," Shifu responded instantly.

"No," Min said hastily. "It just made me curious what you have in mind for us."

Master Shifu relaxed slightly. "Ah, I understand. I haven't made this public yet, but word has it that Shen has returned to Gongmen City prematurely."

"What?" Min gasped.

"That guy must have moved as fast as Master Monkey searching for almond cookies to conquer China so quickly," said Wing, though he wrinkled his nose and frowned.

"No, I am simply not convinced he succeeded in his conquest of China," said Shifu, staring hard at the ground, deep in thought. "There must be a reason he came back so soon, and I want you to find out what that is. I want you to bring back information of any changes that might have occurred in terms of guards at the prison, the status of the Furious Five, anything that will be important for the logistics of a rescue. Can you do that? If you need more manpower, I can give only a couple more people. With Shen home, I have no idea of the security in the city. You will need to be invisible."

"Does that mean entering the city through the main route is out of the question?" asked Min. They had previously been able to casually enter Gongmen like tourists through the main harbor since most of Shen's guards had been assigned to guarding the Furious Five.

"I'm afraid so. You'll need to find another way into the city," Master Shifu said.

"There's the old panda village," Po interjected. "The Soothsayer lives there, and she really helped me out."

"And you're sure we can trust her?" Shifu asked seriously. "You did mention that she appeared to act as an advisor to Shen."

"Yeah, but it was more to tell him not to do all the stuff he…kinda did anyway. And she wouldn't save me if she was really on his side. I mean, there was all that mumbo-jumbo talk about my destiny, and she even said if she wanted me to die, she would have left me in the river. No, I think the Soothsayer is on our side," Po insisted.

"Very well then. Min, Wing, Lien, you'll go to the panda village. Po can help explain where it is later. Get into the city through some side gate and come back as soon as you found out why Shen is back and what his next move will be," said Master Shifu.

The three of them departed the tent and returned to their own small shelter. Lien and Wing settled down for the night, but Min found herself staring up at the ceiling, wide awake. She honestly wasn't sure why she felt so compelled to volunteer. She didn't owe it to anyone, but deep inside, she could feel some strange drive, and she wonderd if it was because Lord Shen was a peacock. _Why would I want to see another peafowl in my life? Especially a lord of a province. Mother and Father would have been _so_ pleased at the prospect, I can imagine. They'd be preening and buffing their feathers and practicing stupid ingratiating comments as they bowed to a mirror._ Min was rubbing her beak again, and come to think of it, it did feel just a bit raw…

The following day, the trio were on their way downriver, heading out to the ocean. The gooes fisherman guided them along the curves of river while Min studied the rudimentary map she had sketched as per Po's directions to the panda village. She was glad that the goose, who had come with Po and Shifu the other day, had lent them the use of his steam-powered boat in return for a place to stay with the other refugees. This way, they would make it to Gongmen City far faster than they would by rowboat.

When they finally entered Gongmen Bay, Min and her company set down on a small beach just outside of the harbor. Now she, Lien and Wing embarked along the sandy shore, creeping along the foot of the mountains as they made their way closer to the city.

They waded across a stream and landed on the banks of a marshy woodland. The place matched Po's description exactly, though he hadn't mentioned there being so much mud. Lien coiled herself around Min's shoulders while Wing leaped farther ahead, hoping to avoid getting sucked into the earth. The peahen squelched to the more solid, grassy area higher up on the bank and paused to think.

"The ruined panda village should be in these woods," she said, pulling her map of the city from her pack.

"I'd like just a few more specifics," Wing said dryly. "These woods stretch for miles. The village could be anywhere—along the shore, near the city, or sunk in this god-awful mud."

"Calm down. According to this map, it should be several miles out of the city and about half a mile from the bay," Min said, turning the map to make sure she was oriented correctly. "Yes, that's definitely right."

"I hope so. I'd like to get as far away from this mud as possible," Lien said.

Fortunately, Min's directions proved true, and they found the deserted village. Charred, rotting planks of wood were strewn everywhere, and the grass was still sparse and stunted, as if the ground there had been forever defiled. _This was Shen's doing?_ Min thought, her beak tightening with cold anger. So Shen seemed to think being "Lord of Gongmen" gave him the right to take everything he wanted, whether it was power, money, or life.

"Can you imagine how much life there used to be here?" Lien asked quietly.

"Don't worry, Shen will pay for it," Min said tightening her beak.

"He will," a soft voice agreed. Min jumped, and Wing whipped out his knife while Lien twisted around, preparing to launch herself at any attacker. But what came out of the ramshackle house was merely an elderly goat with a twisted cane. "Here is an interesting fellowship."

"You must be the Soothsayer. Po mentioned you," Min explained. "We were told you would be able to give us some—"

"Information?" finished the goat. "Yes, I am the one known as Soothsayer. You must be tired. Let's get those muddy feet washed, and we can talk inside."

"I am glad Po finally decided to listen to reason," said the Soothsayer as she brought a bamboo bucket filled with water. She paused, eyes widening slightly. "Unless…he came with you?"

"No, Master Shifu refused to let Po go," Min assured her.

The old goat returned her gaze to the bucket of water from which she began spooning out water and pouring it onto their feet. "The panda is fiercely stubborn. That could not have been all that convinced him."

"If he was seen by anyone here, Shen would surely kill the Five and Masters Croc and Ox too. Master Shifu managed to make him believe that…for now."

The Soothsayer nodded. "You must move quickly to free them. Po will not sit idly very long. However, Shen has many wolves and gorillas surrounding the prison. They will sound an alarm as soon as they see any intruder."

"What about Shen? What has he been doing?" Min asked. He was the one who interested her.

"Shen has kept a surprisingly low profile. He always preferred to put on a big show with anything he did, but something has been occupying him as of late. Perhaps he not finding government to be of his liking," the Soothsayer said with a slight smile.

"He's not planning any sort of attack? Say on the rest of the provinces?"

"After stifling the invasion in the north, Shen's army has been reduced to a fraction of its full strength. He is here to rebuild himself and gather more forces."

Min nodded distantly. _An invasion. That must be why he came back. One question down_. She turned to her companions. "Once we get into the city, I think our first order of business will be to check out that prison. Do you think we can retire here when we're done with our work in the city each day?" Min asked hopefully.

"You don't seem to have planned things very far in advance," the Soothsayer commented with a wry smile. Min liked how the smile reached her eyes. When she had been a child, her parents would feed her every manner of crock, but she soon learned that eyes always told the truth, and her parents always lied.

"Well, it's kind of hard since we don't know what's going on in the city very well right now…We're just trying to take it slowly. The last thing we want is to be caught unawares and unprepared," Min said.

The goat hummed in assent. "Even the best laid plans can go astray. But, to answer your question, yes, you may stay." She swirled a hoof in the bucket water and the ripples danced mysteriously. "The future is not a rigid body, my friends. We may try to fight our destinies, but like water, they will always find another path to their destinations. But it is possible to guide them, to choose the path that works best."

"How could we possibly know which path is the right one?" Wing interrupted. "It's not like playing cards. How can we choose the right path if we don't know what are choices are?"

"Indeed, which is the right one?" the Soothsayer echoed. "What is important is that you do not fix yourself into one path, one plan. Do not use force when it is better to flow. People, including Shen himself, often mistake my art. They forget I only tell the future. I do not create it."

"Eh. What's important is that we get a good map, not a good riddle," Wing grunted, lashing his tail.

"Be polite. She's helping us," Min whispered to him.

"Oh is she now?" the rat retorted. "Give me a moment to figure out how. Or should I buy a hint token from you since you obviously got it down pat?"

Ignoring him, Min continued asking the Soothsayer what she knew of Shen and the goings on of the city. She learned that the citizens had celebrated his return, and the lord had, at the moment, a better public relationship than he had when he first returned from his exile.

_Wow. He was away from home for thirty years. Maybe that's why he's such a grouch. Still, he deserved it. Just look at all the innocent lives he completely destroyed. If it weren't for him, Po could have grown up with his real parents._

"Just one more question before we go. When we first arrived, I told Lien that Shen would pay for his crimes, and you answered 'He will.' What was that supposed to mean?" Min said.

The goat smiled mysteriously, yet again. "Like I said, I only tell a person's future. It is up to that person to create it."

Min stood up, slightly exasperated, and thanked the Soothsayer, before she and her companions departed, though she had to agree with Wing. The Soothsayer had given a bunch of riddles where straightforward advice would have been more useful, especially considering the time crunch. She would have to make do with what she had, just as she'd always done.

Thus, Min and her companions found themselves in the midst of Gongmen City and all its grandeur. She was glad they had been there once before when the stakes weren't so high. The city was large enough and busy enough for her and her friends to be distracted. Street vendors constantly shouted at them, dangling their wares in their faces while people labored away, and children scampered underfoot. Compared to the Valley, where in each village, everyone knew everyone, and there was only one person in charge of each product, Gongmen City was a beehive of competition.

"Alright, to Gongmen Jail," Min said striding forward. At least from her last visit, she knew where the main landmarks were and how the different districts were laid out so she wasn't completely lost. Master Shifu had been wise to make sure all his scouts acquired a familiarity with the layout of the city before roaming alone.

"What's that crowd up there?" Lien asked, pointing her tail up the road. Sure enough, there was a mass of people clogging the street. Min was about to suggest getting a closer look when a voice rang out above the murmur of the crowd.

"Out of my way!"

People stumbled away from the entrance to a small restaurant, tripping over each other in their haste. The white peacock stepped out into the streets, brushing dust from his robes with a look of distaste.

"_Make yourselves scarce!_" Min hissed under her breath. Lien obeyed by slipping into Min's leather vest. "Not what I had in mind," she muttered as Wing let the crowd of people swallow him. As calmly as she could, Min backed away with the others, trying to look normal. And the peacock might not have noticed her if that rabbit child had not run across his path straight in her direction.

"Gah! Insolent little-" His eyes followed the rabbit who slipped past Min and disappeared into the crowd. "What?" Lord Shen murmured softly, his eyes widening in surprise as they appraised the peahen who stood before him.

The Soothsayer's advice seemed to mock her now. _Like water, our destinies will always find the right path_. But what happened when the water was trapped in a box? Min closed her eyes very deliberately, cursing inwardly because she knew the answer. It was at the mercy of the one holding the box.


	4. Chapter 4

Here is Chapter 4! I was actually pretty fast about this one. I know Non Malum mentioned that Shen was kind of sort of nice-ish in the second chapter, but now that he's gotten over the stress of being in an actual real battle and is back to city living, he's pretty much his old grouchy-ass self again. Although when he's alone and kind of stressed, I imagine that he kind of wigs out sometimes. I feel like Shen can over-think things and it probably makes him unpleasant and stressed out.

Also, I think whiteling asked who the invaders were so just to clear things up, they're actually just your generic, nomadic, warring tribe. Kinda like the Mongols but probably not as tough because I think the Mongols would have kicked Shen's butt. This is why I didn't want to name specifics.

Again, thanks to my readers and reviewers. Your feedback is much appreciated.

Oh I almost forgot. This chapter takes place simultaneously with Chapter 3. That was kind of important. This is what happens when I get distracted.

Summary: The paths Shen took in the past seem only to lead deeper into darkness. But through the eyes of those who have woven themselves into his life, a new story unfolds-one leading away from old misery and guilt-that may yet bring him redemption. Slight AU. **Chapter 4-Shen takes a day off from the stress of ruling a city.**

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><p>Chapter 4.<p>

_Shen._

"My lord, the head architect has finished his plans for the new Tower of Sacred Flame. He requested you to look over it and give it your approval."

"If I may be so bold, might I suggest you organize a council to help you manage your affairs?"

"We've just received messages from the provinces you claimed during the campaign requesting orders."

Questions like these had assaulted Shen from every corner, and it was driving him mad. A part of him wanted to simply cast all his duties onto someone else, but he hated the idea of giving his hard-earned power. So he sat through meetings and endured the insipid questions and petitions that peppered him all day.

_I can see why my parents were always so busy_, he thought. _But they were the rulers of the city. Surely they could have made some time…for me._

It was late evening by the time Shen adjourned the meeting to elect a council of officers who would take care of more menial affairs. If anyone asked him even one more question, he thought he was sure to put a knife through that person's skull.

A pig servant poked his head through Shen's chamber door. "Sir, what will you—EEeeeep!" The throwing knife sliced his hat open and pinned itself to the door.

"Don't you knock?" Shen demanded, touching the hilt of another knife inside his sleeve.

"I beg your pardon, my lord!" the pig squealed, bowing. "I just wanted to know—" The second knife flew, and the pig barely dodged it.

"Get out! I don't want to see your stupid, ugly face! I don't want to hear your idiotic questions! In fact, tell everyone in this stinking mansion to stay away from me! LEAVE!"

The pig slunk out of the room, cowering so low his chin nearly touched the ground. As he passed another servant heading up to Shen's room, he waved his arms in distress. "No, no! Don't go in there! The lord is in a rage. He wouldn't even let me inquire about his dinner."

Shen sat on his couch, still breathing hard from his outburst. Was this what ruling was like? All the pestering citizens, money to be managed, nobles begging for favor…was this his reward? He thought it would be better than this. _This_ was not worth the long wait. _This_ was not what he had dreamed of.

_No, don't lose sight of things_, he told himself. _Just be patient. Remember, this is your destiny! Everything will fall into place._

_Destiny, destiny, destiny_. He repeated it in his head like a mantra. However, the conscious mind has little sway on one's innermost thoughts, despite its efforts, and Shen's subconscious remained unconvinced.

He could feel a desperate frustration bubbling inside him, and he fought to control it. How had he imagined his success before? In his dreams, he had attained victory after victory before declaring himself emperor, and all of China bowed before him, whether they wanted to or not. Every life form in the nation was under his thumb, and he could squash them into oblivion if they so much as annoyed him.

Shen felt trapped in between two conflicting desires. On one hand, he wanted the power to rule all on his own, no advisors pestering him, no councilmen, no meetings, just his orders. On the other hand, he knew such a rule would be short lived. Ultimately, he would have to defer some authority to others or else everything would fall apart.

Curse everything! He'd worked so hard for this. How could he be getting cold feet now? He clenched his metal talons, scraping the floor. Had the Soothsayer been right about this being a cup that couldn't be filled or whatever annoying ambiguous advice it was? No, it couldn't be. That old goat was no different from anyone else. She could be wrong too, just like she had been wrong about her prophecy. Shen smiled crookedly at the thought. The best part about that was that he had been personally responsible for proving her wrong. He hadn't been defeated! That had to mean destiny was on his side…right?

Shen flung some of his knives, watching them impale the wall with dull _thuds_. Right now, he hated everyone. He hated the hypocrisy of his citizens. He hated the stupid, arrogant sense of nobility of ones who called themselves kung fu masters. Most of all, he hated that god-awful voice in his head that _wouldn't shut up_!

"I don't care about the past! It means nothing to me," he moaned, running a hand through his crest. "Only the future matters." More knives struck the wall as he hissed furiously.

"Why can't I let go of it? Why, why, why, WHY?" With each "why" another knife speared the pillars and walls. Breathing heavily, Shen surveyed the room, which looked like it had grown rows of metallic teeth, all bearing down on him.

He dropped down onto his bed, not bothering to change into new robes. As he drifted off to sleep, the smug little voice in the back of his mind whispered to him. _You could conquer the entire world, and it would not change anything. No matter what, you're the same pitiful white peacock whose parents did not want you._

Shen groaned into his pillow. That's it. He needed a day off.

Obeying his promise to himself, Shen began the next day by snapping at any servant or advisor who attempted to gain an audience with him and promptly left the mansion. He passed through the upper districts where the nobles resided. He had been confined to these districts as a child, but with the help of the wolf, young Shen had climbed the walls of the palace town and snuck out into the big city. The two children had run up and down the streets, weaving between the legs of adults to make them trip. They each took turns snatching bean buns off lunch wagons while the other distracted the cart owner. The Wolf Boss was not the Wolf Boss then, but just Lang, plain and simple, and Shen had glared every time Lang called him "Prince" because being a prince was stupid and boring way back when everything was still easy.

Shen examined the houses of various wealthy families and high-ranking statesmen, but none of them stirred anything inside of him. The houses were grand, but somehow they seemed sterile and lifeless as a pale corpse. He tried to remember what he had done amidst these houses and their people, but the only memories he could conjure were laced with the fog of lies and false charm. Somehow all the opulence seemed tacky all of a sudden, and it clung to his feathers like a film of muck—shimmering gold and red muck, but muck nonetheless. Half-consciously rubbing himself off, Shen hurried through the gates and out into the main city.

Outside the palace district, the streets were thick with people, clamoring with shopkeepers, shouting out restaurant orders, or simply having conversations. Shen tried to ignore the stares and barely concealed whispers that erupted from the crowd as he passed among them. Perhaps this plan had not been thought through very well. It was hard not to notice an albino peacock dressed in Gongmen Province's finest silk. Shen glared at a wide-eyed rabbit who stood in his path.

"What?" he snapped.

The rabbit's nose quivered and his ears shot straight up in alarm, and he bowed quickly before scampering away. Shen ran a finger along the cool metal of a knife. The feeling of the blade calmed him, reminding him who was in complete command over those little animals. _I must be getting stir crazy, aggravated so easily by every little thing. I'm over-thinking everything._

Shen's thoughts floated to his conquest. The barbarian invasion threw his plans out the window, and now he was stuck here in the city, forced to reset. He ordered a rickshaw to take him to the outskirts of the city where his armory lay. He had never rested easy during his exile, and perhaps after thirty years of constant planning and activity, he had become so accustomed that he actually craved it. Besides, neither the gorillas nor the wolves were known for their grace. If anyone so much as dented the cannons that remained in working order, he was going to flay them.

The wolves standing guard at the factory knelt in acknowledgement as their lord passed through the gates. As Shen stepped through the doors, a wolf caught his eye and headed over to meet him.

"Sorry, my lord. I didn't know you were coming," he said with a bow.

"Why? Is there something you should be sorry for?" Shen asked coolly, watching in satisfaction as the wolf's tail tucked between his legs at the threat.

"No! Of course not, my lord. It's just kind of a mess, that's all," the wolf said quickly.

"Mm." Shen walked straight past him, eying the still machinery that had once been whirring and smoldering with activity. "What are you called?" he asked, not bothering to turn to the wolf.

"Captain Hao , my lord. Boss put me in charge of the factory here."

"Well Captain, would you mind explaining to me the point of a fireworks factory that has no fire?" Shen said with icy courtesy.

"I-uh-uh-well, we-we weren't sure-" Hao stammered, ears flattening.

"Here is my problem: I'm surrounded by idiots! What on earth have you fools been doing all this time? We've been in the city for a week. You mean to say it takes you a week to put all the cannons into a warehouse? Have your fleas sucked out brain instead of blood? My war is not yet over, and you are wasting my time! How many cannons here remain undamaged? How many?" Hao was on the ground by this point, Shen's metal talons digging into his fur. Shen dragged the wolf back to his feet and tossed him to the small section of cannons that remained in good condition. "COUNT THEM!"

"There-there's twenty," Hao said gasping.

"Twenty, MY LORD." Shen whipped his train at the incompetent wolf, sending him flying. "Listen up, all of you!" Everyone in the factory had ceased what they were doing when he had started threatening Hao, and now they all straightened up nervously, eyes trained on their master. "You idiots may think just because we bullied a few provinces into submission means we can sit back and relax. However, this is only the beginning. I told you I would conquer all of China, and do you honestly believe I will do it with _twenty cannons_? Under this fool Hao, you may have been bored and idle, but now your master is here and he has a job to relieve you of your boredom.

"Find more metal—good metal. Go to the mining towns we conquered and levy my tax. We no longer have to beg and steal for poor men's mongrel metal. By the time we strike out again, my cannons will not be made of shopkeepers' pots and musicians' bells, but true steel! Stoke the fires, begin your work again, and do it now! I cannot stand to wait any longer. China. Must. Be. Mine!"

By the time he left, Shen was feeling quite satisfied with himself. The wolves had gone scurrying immediately to find the resources to begin replenishing the supply of weaponry. Enough with trivial politics. He was a warlord. Iron and fire was in his blood, and Shen resolved to spend his days overseeing the factory, leaving the dull meetings to his council. They would still report to him with their decisions—he refused to trust everything to them—but dealing with petitions of peasants was far beneath him. He wondered where the Wolf Boss was. It felt odd walking the streets alone since the wolf had followed him everywhere like the faithful dog he was. Lately the pack leader seemed to be away rather often, now that they had come back to the city. Shen wouldn't say he _missed_ the wolf, but it had been a long time since he had traveled solo.

Realizing he was hungry, he executed a wonderful abuse of power by clearing a restaurant of its customers, many who were only halfway through their meals, and seating himself at one of the emptied tables.

The rabbit server brought him steamed vegetable dumplings and white jasmine rice, and she almost spilled hot tea all over the table, her hands were shaking so violently. The fare was simple, but surprisingly, not very different in quality from the food he often received in the homes of the wealthy. Of course, it seemed difficult to botch steamed vegetable dumplings, but Shen had to wonder at the credentials of the chefs who were supposedly qualified to serve the nobility.

There was an anxious crowd gathered outside when he finished, and they all struggled to get out of his path as he made his exit. Several weren't quick enough, and stumbled across his path.

"Out of my way!" he commanded, causing the crowd to panic slightly as they surged away. A young rabbit dashed in front of him, and he nearly tripped. "Gah! Insolent little-" Shen glared at the child as he rushed past, squeezing behind the legs of…

"What?" Staring him right in the face, her eyes wide, was a rather plain-looking peahen. In the moment's pause, the crowd managed to clear, leaving the two of them staring each other down in a mixture of bewilderment and surprise.

Shen's eyes narrowed as he studied her. She never broke her gaze, watching his every move intently, but the rest of her face was frozen into an emotionless mask. When he was young, there had been a few peafowl families that lived in Gongmen, but all were nobility. Since his fall from grace, he had not seen a single peafowl in the city, and he'd assumed they'd all left, now that their claim to power in Gongmen had been torn apart. Yet here was a peahen, and clearly not one of high birth, judging by her shoddy appearance and lack of etiquette. It seemed strange to Shen that one would show up so suddenly after his return.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"Min," she replied robotically.

"You will address me as 'my lord,' peahen. Do you not realize whom you are addressing? I am Lord Shen. Ruler of Gongmen City and soon to be Emperor of China."

"I'm sorry. My lord. I'm from a small village. My lord. We don't have much contact with the outside world. My lord."

Shen curled his beak in disdain. Yes, she definitely seemed a peasant, and a fool as well. But those eyes seemed to say otherwise. He continued his interrogation.

"Why are you here?"

"I had heard about Gongmen City. My lord. I wanted to see it for myself. My lor-"

"Alright! You don't need to say it after every sentence!" Shen said, rubbing a hand down his face in exasperation. "Just get on with answering my questions. What village are you from?"

This time, he noticed a slight twitch of her facial muscles before she answered. "Only a small village on the outskirts of a larger town," she said. The twitch might have been his imagination. "My…lord?" she added hesitantly. Shen rolled his eyes.

"What is it called though? Surely you know the name of your own town if you're not a complete imbecile."

No, the twitch was definitely not a part of his imagination. He saw it again. "Xiao Niao," she answered. Shen searched her face for any sign of deceit, but the peahen could have been made of stone. No ordinary small-town peasant could keep such a straight face in the presence of a lord while standing in one of the largest, grandest cities in all of China. And no ordinary peasant idiot would have a look so sharp and observant. Her story was not matching up.

Shen was royalty, and therefore a practiced liar. Two could play this game. "I'm quite intrigued by your presence here, Min." He put on a light smile, though he doubted he could keep the scorn completely suppressed. "You see, we don't get many peafowl in the city, and when we do, they all seem a bit more…regal." There was that twitch again. He continued, "Even so, it's rather nice for me to see someone of my own species. Perhaps you would like to accompany me to my home. I'd love to hear all about this village of yours and how you came to be there."

The peahen opened her mouth, but it was a split second before words actually made their way out. "No, my lord, I couldn't…" The sentence came out properly—no stilted, last-minute "my lords." Shen almost grinned. He was sure she was hiding something, and he would not let her out of his grasp until he found out what.

"I don't mean that as a suggestion," he interrupted. "My mansion is across the city. We'll need a carriage." Shen was about to force a villager to find him transportation when out of nowhere appeared the Wolf Boss.

"Gods, Lord Shen, I've been looking everywhere for you," he panted. "Why didn't you tell me you left this morning?"

"I don't need your permission to leave my own house," Shen snapped. The wolf stared, dumbfounded.

"No, of course not, but it would help to know where my freaking lord is," he retorted.

"That's your concern, not mine. Now make yourself useful and find me a carriage. We're having a guest." Shen gestured to the peahen.

The Wolf Boss grinned at her, all his teeth showing, and she cringed slightly. "Hey there, Miss Peacock," he said with a wave and padded away before Shen could correct his mistake.

"Idiot dog," Shen muttered and glanced back at the peahen. Her face was as serene as ever but her gaze was hard and sharp, like rocks piercing the skin of a calm ocean. _Peasant, my tail feathers. I will find your secret Miss Min, if I have to cut it out of your scruffy little throat._

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><p>Xiao Niao is "little bird" typed into Google translate. I'm sure a Chinese person somewhere is crying at the inaccuracy. But I don't speak a lick of Chinese. What can I do?<em><br>_


	5. Chapter 5

I have been delinquent with my writing. I am very sorry. I was just not in the mood to do writing of any sort for a while. It's because I juggle so many different hobbies. Anyway, here I introduce a new perspective character: the Wolf Boss! I liked him a lot and wished he had more character development in the movie, but what can you do? He's going to be important later on in the story though. It was really fun to write this guy, and I think my favorite part is his discussion with Hao.

Summary: The paths Shen took in the past seem only to lead deeper into darkness. But through the eyes of those who have woven themselves into his life, a new story unfolds-one leading away from old misery and guilt-that may yet bring him redemption. Slight AU. **Chapter 5-A day in the life of the Wolf Boss.**

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><p>Chapter 5.<p>

_Wolf Boss Lang._

Lang rode alongside the stricken-looking lady peacock. Shen had refused to let her ride with him, declaring that no one had any right to occupy space in _his_ carriage. So Lang and the lady followed behind in a simple rickshaw, but the lady seemed to prefer his company to his lord's anyway. Even with the wind blowing in his face, he could smell her fear like it was a slick coating over her feathers. And there was something else too. Lang sniffed deeply, and snuck a glance at her. Her expression, her smell, and the tightness of her muscles all reminded Lang of Shen in his "polite mode." Everything stank of deceit. He knew those eyes, that scent, and he was sure that if he heard her speak, that voice too. Maybe Shen was too busy in his scheming to notice, but Lang realized he could sense a lie faster than he could smell rotting fish upwind on a breezy day.

When they arrived at the mansion, Shen waved Lang to his side without turning around to acknowledge the lady.

"Escort the peahen to a room and set guards there. I don't want her to leave unless I summon her," Shen said.

"Oh, is peahen what lady peacocks are called?" Lang asked. "By the way, I think she's hiding something from you."

"Of course I know she's hiding something, dolt. And don't you dare call that peahen a lady. She's scruffier than you are," his master snapped and strode down the hall to his chambers, leaving Lang and the lady peahen standing in the entryway.

Lang turned back to the lady peahen. She didn't look that scruffy to him, although she wasn't as colorful as other peahens he'd seen.

"Uh, I'll find a room for you. Follow me." Lang scratched at his ear. Somehow, he could just smell a blowup coming the peahen's way. He'd known Shen all his life, and he knew there could be nothing pleasant in store for the lady. He had a servant lead them to a guest room, and the two of them waited outside while the servant made last minute preparations.

"Lord Shen doesn't like it when he doesn't get his way," Lang said, his tail sweeping back and forth in the uncomfortable quiet. "It'll be a lot easier for you if you just do what he says."

The lady only nodded, eyes fixed straight ahead of her. _Geez, for a peasant, she seems pretty stuck up_. But Lang could still smell her fear and wondered what secret she could possibly be hiding. He leaned in closer and smelled her more closely. She leaned away nervously, but before Lang could say anything, the servant came out and let her into the room, and she shut the door in his face immediately. Lang could have sworn he smelled something in the lady peahen's vest that he hadn't noticed before when the wind was blowing. He growled softly. Shen could deal with that later. He didn't have time to be worrying about the random guests of his lord.

Lang found Shen in his war room, parsing maps and moving figurines around from location to location. The wolf recognized the glint in Shen's eyes that he had when the gears in his mind were whirring full force. Planning already. Shen never had a lick of patience.

"Took you long enough to toss a peahen into a room," Shen muttered, not bothering to look up from the papers strewn about the table.

"The servant had to make it nice," Lang said.

This time Shen did look up, glaring at him with his piercing red eyes. "And so you just let him do as he pleased? I made you my second in command for a reason, dog. Or are you too stupid to realize that means _you_ give orders and servants follow? Not that you're doing a particularly good job with giving orders either, judging by the utter uselessness of the people you have in my fireworks factory _handling my weapons_."

"Right, about that, Lord Shen," Lang began, "if there is a problem with my subordinates, take it out on me, not them. Wolves follow the pack leader and Hao would not act without having my okay."

"Don't presume to tell me what I can and cannot do!" Shen spat, his feathers ruffling. "I will punish whomever I see fit to punish."

"I'm only trying to look out for my men. They work hard and they're doing everything they can," Lang protested.

Shen leaped onto the table and paced toward him, white fury radiating from every feather. Lang took a step back and half-consciously raised an arm to his neck. The last time his master had come at him with such a look in his eyes was when Lang had been unfortunate enough to report the sighting of the panda in the Valley of Peace.

Shen thrust his face into Lang's. "_Everything they can_? Do you know what I saw when I visited the factory? Wolves and gorillas milling about like the morons they are. Not a single fire was lit. We came back to repair the cannons. _I did not see any repairing happening_."

Lang backed away farther, staring at Shen and hoping the defiance he felt didn't reach his eyes. The lord who was once his best friend—no, still was a friend—quivered slightly, and Lang found himself remembering the days when the young peacock's body would shake under the force of his coughs, and how too much excitement could send him into tremors. Finally, the wolf sighed, scratched at his ear and said, "Yes, my lord. Don't worry, we'll work double time to make up for the delay."

Seeming mollified, Shen craned his neck upright and smirked. "Too right you will." As Lang turned to leave, he added, "The wolves may answer to you, but don't you forget, dog, to whom you answer."

"Yes, sir," Lang muttered and shut the door behind him.

The evening was cool and the streets were bustling with people closing up shop and heading home for the day. Lang easily pushed his way through the crowd of people who were eager to avoid a wolf. He found the barracks where Shen's soldiers settled and raised his nose to find the scent he was looking for. The scent trail led him to Captain Hao, who was resting on his bunk with a cold pack pressed to his face. A she-wolf and two pups standing near the bed bowed as their pack leader approached, and Hao raised a hand in acknowledgment.

"How are you doing?" Lang asked, crouching down at Hao's side.

"Oh, you know, no worse than in the war," Hao replied with a toothy grin. It was a weak smile though.

"In the war, our enemies were the ones beating the hell out of us, not our own leaders." Lang grimaced as he looked around the rest of the barracks. Nurses were everywhere, tending to the wounded. Even after the battle, some of the injured survivors had died due to fatigue or infected wounds. The last thing Lang needed at the moment was Shen attacking and hurting perfectly healthy soldiers. It was a good thing Hao had only been knocked in the head a little. He'd be back on his feet after some bed rest. Still, the principle of the matter was what concerned him.

"Yeah, well, what you gonna do," Hao said in a tone of resignation. Lang could see his resentment as though it were written on every hair, and he knew it wasn't toward him. The wolves, _his _wolves, may not have been the most organized, clever bunch, but Lang knew that they were undyingly loyal. Shen was right. These wolves answered to _him_. The only reason they obeyed Shen without question was because their pack leader obeyed Shen without question.

"I tried talking to him, but that guy needs good timing. He was pretty grouchy today, but eventually I'll get through to him," Lang assured the captain who bore his teeth in skepticism.

"Yeah, right. Why the hell would he do anything for us? We all hear how he refers to you. I don't know how you can handle a bird, and a damn peacock at that, calling you 'dog.'" Hao spat the word like a curse.

"Hey, we would be living like dogs if it weren't for Shen. You weren't around yet, but once upon a time, he was actually a likeable guy. He raised us up and made us important. He treated us with respect and after that, I promised myself that I would take care of him and be loyal to him, and a wolf-"

"Never breaks a promise, I know," Hao finished. "But what do you do when keeping one means breaking another? I also swore to protect my pups and my mate, but how can I do that when Lord Shen is always rampaging about, demanding this and that? Face it, Boss, we're objects to him. His cannons are worth more in his eyes. We're just the guys that push 'em around and light the damn things because he doesn't have enough hands."

What Hao was saying was true, Lang admitted. And really, what was he to do when he was duty-bound to care for his wolves as well as obey Shen? He wasn't sure how his pack could still feel so loyal to him when he led them into war and came back with half their number.

Lang laid a paw on Hao's shoulder. "Just hurry up and get well, ol' fleabag," he said. Hao grinned again and gave a thumbs up. Lang made his rounds visiting other injured wolves and their families, but had to stop after a while since there were too many to speak to in one night.

The night air licked his face as he stepped out of the barracks. Lang wondered what time it was. Glancing into the lighted windows of houses, he saw families eating dinner together, seeming oblivious to the political turmoil that China was undergoing. He swiped at an ear, wondering how long ago he had ever been that blissfully ignorant. Back at the mansion, Shen was probably having the most awkward, uncomfortable meal ever with the lady peahen, and Lang was simply not interested in walking in on that. There was one other matter he could take care of before he returned, and Lang bounded away toward Gongmen Jail.

He could see his wolves crawling all over the walls and rafters of the prison. Shen had done some emergency renovations before locking each one of the Furious Five it and set up guards on every inch of the premises. Now the security was tighter than ever. _That ought to please the peacock_, thought Lang.

Shen had set up the prisoners so that they were as far apart from each other as possible. The last time the kung fu masters had been captured, they all helped each other break free of their bonds. Lang knew his lord would never again make the mistake of letting them work as a team. He stalked from prisoner to prisoner. He passed by Ox, Croc, Mantis, Monkey, Viper, Crane…each of them ignored him completely, and Lang was satisfied by their dejection. Understanding people was not exactly Lang's strong suit, but he had his suspicions that their despair was the most powerful thing holding them at bay.

At the end of the hall sat one of the most threatening of the masters. The tigress was handcuffed and wrapped in chains, but when Lang approached, she looked up sharply and glared at him. However, there was no threat in her eyes, but rather a desperate attempt at defiance, and Lang realized she was hiding the same hopelessness, which was so evident in the others, deep inside herself.

"Everything going well here?" Lang asked one of the prison attendants.

"Yes, sir. We have patrols going all night, and none of them have seen anything out of the ordinary," the subordinate wolf responded.

"_Cowards_."

Lang turned around toward the tigress. "Nah, I don't think so. More like, you guys can make hell break loose here, and we don't really need that right now," he said.

"If Shen is so concerned with who is stronger, why won't he just stand and fight instead of hiding behind hostages?" she snarled, white teeth glowing in the torchlight.

Lang had to laugh. "Because face-to-face, you _are_ stronger than he is! Why the hell would he play the game your way?"

"When you play with people's lives, it is not a game anymore!"

"Hah, you think I don't know what it's like to be a pawn in Shen's game? What makes you think you're special and that you know more than I do? Truth is, Miss Tigress, you don't know the half of it." Lang was starting to feel fed up with her attitude. For all her skill, the kung fu master was an idiot if she thought she understood exactly where the lines between good and evil fell. If there was one thing living with Shen had taught him, it was that nothing could be defined simply in terms of black and white. Who the hell did these kung fu people think they were who acted like they had no dark side? And who the hell did they think _he_ was when they judged him as though he had no light?

"What more is there for me to know? I've seen what Shen has done. What could I be missing that justifies all the wrongs he's committed?"

"Whoa there, I never said anything about justifying. But you might want to consider the other side of the story before you hate someone for being a monster." Lang turned away, no longer in the mood to deal with the prisoners. Security was perfectly fine, and he had nothing to worry about here.

What concerned Lang were his loyalties. How could he keep both his oath to his pack and his oath to Shen when the two were so at odds? And day by day, Shen seemed to grow increasingly unhinged, his restlessness threatening to consume him like acid. Lang growled, feeling suddenly exhausted. The world seemed to be falling apart around him, and what could a lone wolf do to stop it?


	6. Chapter 6

This chapter was kind of a beast to write. I had a really hard time with it, and it's probably going to reflect in my writing. I hope it doesn't stretch your suspension of disbelief too thin or anything. I think the very last part would have been easier to articulate from Shen's point of view, but I had to do this chapter in Min's perspective. Hope you guys still like it though.

Summary: The paths Shen took in the past seem only to lead deeper into darkness. But through the eyes of those who have woven themselves into his life, a new story unfolds-one leading away from old misery and guilt-that may yet bring him redemption. Slight AU. **Chapter 6-Min and Shen have a face-off over the dinner table.**

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><p>Chapter 6.<p>

_Min._

Min was sorry for slamming the door in the wolf's face, as he had been perfectly kind to her and even showed concern for her well-being. However, he made her too nervous when he started to sniff her, and Min remembered that Lien was still coiled inside her vest. The room the wolf gave her was tidy, thanks to the servant who hurried to prepare it, but it seemed cold and lifeless.

She ran a finger across the top of a wooden dresser and grimaced at the coat of dust that came off it. _Alright, maybe not quite that tidy_. Lien shuffled around and poked her head out from Min's collar.

"Safe?" she whispered.

"Yeah, I think so," Min said, keeping her voice low in case anyone was listening through the door.

"Oh, good, I was starting to overheat. I don't know how you warm-bloods can stay that temperature all the time," said Lien, slithering out and sighing as she touched the cool floor. "But what are we going to do now? We're smack in the middle of enemy territory, and Master Shifu can't afford to rescue us, even if he somehow managed to find out our predicament."

"That's why I am seriously counting on you," Min said, eyeing a small grated window up near the ceiling. "Shen only thinks he's got me to deal with. I'm pretty sure he doesn't know about you. At least, he never let on that he did. Only the wolf might have been suspicious, but you should be gone by then."

"You mean, you want me to leave without you?" Lien asked, looking up in concern.

"Yes. I want to you meet up with Wing and finish your mission as quickly as possible, and go back to the Valley of Peace. As long as I'm here, I have a chance of preoccupying Shen long enough to make him careless," Min said.

"Okay…" Lien said. Min stood up on the dresser and lifted the grass snake toward the window. "What if I get caught out there?" Lien added, just as she was about to slide out.

"You won't," Min replied firmly, and gave her a gentle nudge, watching as her friend slipped out of sight.

Now, she had to figure out how on earth to deal with Shen. What was the story she was going with? _I'm a peasant, from Xiao Niao, which is a village on the outskirts of Gou City. I'm here because I wanted to see the world and Gongmen City is always mentioned in village gossip. I'm an uneducated peasant who doesn't know anything about formalities or culture._ Min rubbed her beak. She had to be extremely careful not to reveal any connection to the Valley of Peace. Shen already seemed suspicious, and Min realized he might be even sharper than she anticipated. Any vague hint could send him flying off the handle.

Min looked up sharply when she heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway, and someone knocked at the door.

"Come in," she said hesitantly, not bothering to head toward the door, in case Shen decided to come sweeping in.

The door opened and a pig servant shuffled in. _Of course, Shen would never knock_, she realized.

"Forgive me for intruding, miss, but Lord Shen wanted me to inform you that he expects you at dinner tonight," the servant said.

"I suppose that's an order," Min commented dryly.

"Well, that is, yes, in fact. It is," the pig stuttered. Min gave a small, sympathetic smile. Nobles were always difficult to deal with, but undoubtedly none was more difficult than he who ruled in this house. The pig continued, "He, um, also mentioned something about your clothes. I, that is, will you allow me to take measurements so I may find you something to fit Lord Shen's criteria?"

Min felt the smile falter a little. _Rotten, spoiled peachick_, she thought, her feathers ruffling a bit.

"My apologies, miss, but Lord Shen can be most, er, unpleasant if he doesn't get his way," the servant said, bowing a little.

"Don't worry about it," Min said, forcing a smile again. It wouldn't be fair to take out her irritation on the poor soul trying to do his job. She stood up straight and spread her wings out, and the pig hurried forward to measure her. Once he was done, he bowed again, and stepped out the door. As he left, Min was able to catch a glimpse of the pair of wolves standing by the door. _So there are guards here_. Essentially, she was a prisoner, but if that was so, she wondered why Shen was uncharacteristically going through the trouble to be remotely hospitable. It couldn't be that he was actually being somewhat truthful when he said he was pleased to see another peafowl, could it?

Either way, it was going to be a terrible, uncomfortable night, and all she could do at the moment was wait for the storm to pass and pray for good luck. From what little she could see through the high windows, the sun was beginning to set. Slowly, the light in the room turned from gold to orange, to pink, periwinkle, then deep indigo. Min curled up on her bed, watching the shadows grow longer until they filled the entire room. _They could have at least left me a lamp_, she grumbled inwardly. By the time night fell, the room was almost completely dark, save for the specter of light that slipped under the door.

She was dozing lightly, when she noticed shadows moving across the thin strip of light. The servant knocked and announced that he had brought her new clothes. Suddenly, the room was awash in golden firelight as the pig entered, followed by a pair of deer laden with cloth.

Min blinked in the brightness that overflowed in her vision. When her eyes finally adjusted, she stared in awe at the robes that the servants laid out before her. She hadn't seen clothes this grand in years!

"I'm terribly sorry, miss. I neglected to leave you a light. Have you truly been sitting in the dark all this time?" the pig asked, sincere concern written on his face.

"I'm fine. I just took a nap when the sun went down," Min said.

"Well, here are the clothes we've purchased for you. You may choose whichever suits you best. Let's get you washed up and changed now. Dinner is nearly ready," said the servant.

Min picked out a fine forest green robe with vines of gold embroidered onto it and followed the servants out the door. As soon as she left the room, the wolves standing guard began to follow them as well. Min entered the washroom where a petite lady goose helped scrub her feathers out and change into the fancy robe. Min surveyed herself in the looking glass and felt memories flood her mind.

When she was young, she never minded getting dressed up. In fact, she rather enjoyed feeling dolled up and pretty. It was only later that she began to realize that coating herself with lavish garments did not change the fact that her peers viewed her as little more than homely. Nothing on the outside made her true self any less plain and invisible to eyes blinded by vanity. Min glared at her reflection. Shen would be no different from any other peafowl noble she knew. He would see her the same way as he did when she wore a dirty-coated vest. Having reminisced her way into a thoroughly foul mood, Min swept out of the room in a huff, longing for the company of her friends.

Shen was seated with his back toward the door when Min and her escorts arrived at the dining room. He twiddled his chopsticks as he gazed out the open windows that overlooked the vast metropolis.

"My lord, your guest," the pig said, his voice quavering slightly, now that he was in Shen's presence.

"Seat her there," Shen said, waving his hand abstractly behind him. He did not turn around to look. The pig pulled out a chair for Min, and she thanked him quietly, before he turned and backed out the door with the wolf guards. Min stared at the back of Shen's head in silence, not bothering to move. Breathing in deeply, she attempted to calm herself, putting on her façade once more.

Dramatically, Shen swiveled around on his seat, which was a large, backless cushion. He placed his hands lightly on the table to stop his motion, and watched the door intently, deliberately ignoring Min. The doors burst open and servants bustled in with platters of food, and only then did he lean back a little, folding his hands neatly with a smirk.

"Do you want bean buns? Rice cake?" a goose asked Min, holding up the plates for her to see.

"How about stir fry noodles?" said another.

"Steamed vegetable dumplings?"

"Spicy tofu?"

"Ahhh…" Min managed to say as she pointed at all the foods that looked appealing.

"Do you want hot tea?" asked a matronly pig as she poured Min a cup anyway. Min stole a glance at Shen, who sat smirking at her, nodding occasionally when a servant brought him something he wanted. At last, the onslaught of food receded and a pair of geese stood at the door, waiting for any new orders. Min breathed a sigh of relief. With the overwhelming service, it was easy to act like a stricken peasant who had never been served in her life.

_Should I just start now or what?_ Hesitantly, she reached out with her chopsticks to pick up a dumpling.

"Hungry, aren't we?" Shen said. Min dropped the dumpling.

"I-I didn't have lunch," she answered truthfully. She and her companions had traveled for the entire first half of the day. Min tried not to think about how tired she should have felt at the moment. She needed to be focused.

"Hmm," Shen said as he began eating. "Are there a lot of peafowl in your village?" he asked abruptly.

Min dropped her dumpling again in surprise. "Yes," she said carefully.

"Really? Are they all peasants like you?"

"No."

"Of course not. That would be quite odd, don't you think? The peafowl have generally all been of the nobility. The first ones to arrive in China immigrated from India, but I suppose you wouldn't know of that. I doubt you know much about the history of our race," said Shen.

"No, of course not," Min parroted. "They actually live in the main city."

"And that would be what?"

"Gou."

"Ah yes. I would know that place. Indeed several wealthy families live there, all subordinate to mine, naturally. Always thought it was a stupid name for the city though," Shen said, his beak curling in mild disdain. "Gou is not a large city compared to mine, is it?"

"No," Min said, trying to keep the ire from her voice.

"This is really your first time in Gongmen City, peahen?"

Min looked up at him sharply—perhaps too sharply. "Yes…" Where was Shen going with this conversation?

"Hmm, interesting. You are hard to impress then," he said with soft laugh.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I only assumed so when you didn't look around in awe, or lose your composure when you found out who I was. I would think it's not every day that a peasant such as yourself gets to be the guest of a lord."

Min could feel his sheer arrogance beginning to grate on her nerves, and it took all her control not to glare at him.

"I find it too gaudy," she said as nonchalantly as she could manage. Shen looked taken aback. He obviously hadn't expected that sort of response. "I prefer simple things that aren't trying to put on a big show," she added.

"Like you?" Shen said, regaining his air of superiority. It was Min's turn to be shocked.

"What?" she retorted before she could contain herself.

"Ohh…did I hit a nerve there? How rude of me," Shen said, not looking sorry at all. He seemed to enjoy that he had found a button to push.

There were a million things that could have come from Min's mouth, but she clamped her beak shut, choosing instead to quiver in silent anger. She snatched up a bean bun and took an enormous bite as a diversion.

"Sensitive about our appearance are we?"

"I wouldn't be if people like you didn't make such a big deal of it!" Min snapped, though she quickly covered her beak with her hands. Shen's eyes narrowed at her outburst. _Oh no, I'm in for it now_, Min thought.

"People like me? What is that even supposed to mean? Or do you simply mean all people? Appearances _are_ a big deal—to everyone! That's life. You are sadly mistaken if you only believe a few people make judgments based on how you look. People like me," he spat. "What gives you the right to judge me, peahen? You waltz into my city out of nowhere, pretend to be a tourist, and now you think you can throw out accusations? Enough of this farce. Tell me why you are really here!"

Min wasn't sure how that knife appeared in his hand so quickly or where it came from, but she certainly understood that the situation just became serious. The lives of the Furious Five had swung into her hands in a single swift moment, and it was up to her not to let them drop.

She had to say the right thing. Shen seemed to know something was up, but how much was he bluffing? There was no way he could possibly have figured out the details of her secret, could he? It occurred to her that he might be better at picking up on lies than most. He seemed clever enough. If that was true, she would risk having that blade flung into her face if she tried to spin a different tale. Min saw only one viable option: tell a lie by telling the truth.

"I'm here to spy on you."

"W-what? Do you-are you an idiot?" Shen sputtered, all his momentum gone.

"Admittedly, it was supposed to be from afar, but plans tend to change, don't they?" Min said, affecting a more proper speech pattern. _Like water_, she thought, remembering the Soothsayer.

Shen jumped onto the table, pacing forward with his knife pointed at her. "The truth, peahen!" he shouted. Min stared at him calmly. He had lost his power over her, and his bravado was pathetically see-through now. Shen seemed aware of it too, and her composure only served to anger him further.

"I thought I was doing fairly well, posing as a dull peasant. I was told I looked the part—though that was insulting— and I've had a good amount of practice. I suppose not though, as you've plainly shown me." Min threaded the various parts of her life together into a tapestry of pseudo-truth. She had hoped to forget about her high birth, and how she had grown a deep-seated resentment for her family and peers. Her own mother had been the one who told her she looked like a peasant covered in dirt, and at it was at that point Min knew that even though she had been born a noble, she would never truly be one. However, for Po's and the Furious Five's sake, she would go back to her roots and try to use her situation to her advantage.

"TELL ME WHO YOU WORK FOR!" Shen screamed at her.

"Or what?"

"Or I'll cut your face open!"

"I'm of noble birth, if that's enough of a hint for you."

Shen was breathing heavily, as if trying hard to prevent himself from carrying out his threats prematurely. "Listen to me, peahen. If I don't get a clear answer out of you in the next few seconds, I don't care who you are, I'll show you a thousand ways to make someone bleed without killing them. Who do you represent and why did you come here?"

"I am here to see how you rule. There has been an unsavory rumor that you've gone mad and are unfit to rule. A knife to the throat and death threats aren't doing much in your favor."

"Yes, but none of them can know about that if you're dead," Shen said with a rather deranged smile. _That doesn't really help your case either_, Min observed.

"But think of the implications of my absence. If I don't return, they'll imagine I've been compromised, and in the worst sort of way," Min said. Vassals were often conniving by nature, especially among the peafowl nobility, and that was exactly the sort of assumption they would make. She had been young when Shen was banished, but she still remembered hearing her family members gossiping over who would take the throne in Gongmen, since he had been the only heir. On the outside, the families would show utmost loyalty to the ruling house, but they would jump on any sign of weakness like rabid dogs. Anyone expecting to rule could not afford to appear off his rocker. Min reflected that being emperor might just be a fancy word for imprisonment, so great were the social constraints.

"You are trying to threaten me," Shen said coldly, though he had managed to quell his wrath for a bit. _He's not stupid. He sees where I'm going with this_, thought Min. _I may have underestimated him. I still think he's nuts, but there's an underlying intelligence that I have to beware of._

"Not so. Think of it as I'm making a deal. Honestly, I'd prefer to pass on your lesson in impaling, and you don't want trouble because your vassals got the wrong idea. You could always crush us into submission, but there's a much easier way for everyone. How about we just say you're having a bad day today? You let me go about my business here in the city, and then I'll make up a wonderful story about how composed and confident you are."

Shen's beak curled in anger, but he also seemed to contemplate what she was saying. At last he said, "Fine, peahen. But you don't get to set the terms of the deal. The very fact that you are here, no matter what family you're from, means you are not to be trusted. You are not going to leave this mansion, and if you must communicate with the outside world, you will do it in writing."

"And no harm will come to me? I think I would find it very difficult to recommend you if I have my arm in a sling."

"Fine!" Shen hissed in exasperation. "I'll be watching you carefully. And I'll have you know, all bets are off if you so much as annoy me."

Min put on her best smile. "Thank you, my lord. It was a wonderful dinner."

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><p>Po is coming up next, since we haven't seen much of him in a while. It's tough to keep the chapters fairly balanced.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Okay! Here is the update! I am not dead. School started up and tried very hard to kill me. Almost succeeded, but I managed to conquer it.

The reason for this chapter and Po's whole storyline in general is that I felt that the movie went a little too quickly with his development at the end. I mean, I can't really blame them since they were constrained by time, but seeing as I am not...well, I decided to develop him a bit more. Really now, he found out that Shen killed his parents. I would find it hard to just _get_ inner peace all of a sudden, knowing something like that.

Another thing is that I wrote some of Po's struggles from personal experience. For example, when he thinks about how he doesn't really want to give up his current life for some alternate life. So that was an interesting experience. But yes, overall, I just wanted to show how inner peace isn't simply something one accomplishes, but must struggle with every day.

Up next is Lord Shen after a long break from him. So look forward to that. Although NaNoWriMo is coming up and my homework load is going to get even heavier so I will do my best to give you the next chapter as soon as I can. Hope you guys haven't given up on me yet! I appreciate every little alert, fav and review. Just knowing there is some life out there that notices my work pretty much makes my life.

Summary: The paths Shen took in the past seem only to lead deeper into darkness. But through the eyes of those who have woven themselves into his life, a new story unfolds-one leading away from old misery and guilt-that may yet bring him redemption. Slight AU. **Chapter 7-Po reflects on the different paths his life could have taken.**

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><p>Chapter 7.<p>

_Po._

Po wasn't entirely sure what brought him to the secluded corner at the back of the cavern, which sat nestled away from the noise of the other refugees. Here he could feel every vibration of the stone beneath his feet and hear every drop of water that struck the stagnant pools like temple bells. Perhaps it was the stress of being idle that drove him into the darkness. Perhaps it was the desire to keep in shape. Or perhaps it was the nagging thought that something inside him was still incomplete and unbalanced.

In any case, Po sat at the edge of the icy spring water, breathing steadily in attempt to seek out the inner peace that he had previously thought he'd found. Tigress had often chided him that he used too much of his gut—in both senses of the word—and not enough of his mind when he was practicing kung fu. Yet today of all days, his mind decided to be its most obstructive. No matter how hard he tried to reach that point of utmost calm, doubts and memories swirled in his head.

"Argh, stupid, stupid," he muttered, rapping himself on the temple. As if that would help. Po stood with a huff. Time to try things the old fashioned way—fist first. _Come on, concentrate_, he told himself, ears perked and every nerve trembling in anticipation. The energy in the air quivered as the next water droplet fell from the ceiling, and Po reached toward it.

_Dad_. The spell was broken and the water burst open on his fingertips. Po shook himself. Now was not the time to be worrying about family matters. They could wait.

_What if they won't?_ He paused at the question that materialized in his mind. _What if your dad gets in trouble down in the Valley? What if you never get the chance to tell him who you are? Do you even know who you are?_ Growling, Po slammed his fist into a pillar.

"Owwww," he moaned. It probably would have been cooler if Tigress had done that. _I bet she would know what to do._

"While that is a good training technique, I wouldn't recommend hitting so hard on your first try."

"Whoa!" Po leaped around to see Master Shifu balanced perfectly on the point of a stalagmite. "How is it that I can never tell when you're coming?"

"Only through achieving inner peace can one become so attuned with his environment," Shifu replied. He frowned at Po. "Something is troubling you."

"Well I did get inner peace, for a little while. I mean, I did that hardcore trick you showed me, you know, with the water and everything?" Po glanced up at the cavern ceiling. _Breathe in, breath out_._ Inner peace, outer peace_. He swung his foot around, drawing out a circle on the floor, willing himself to get the technique right. He had had it before! What happened to it? Po breathed in deeply again when another drop splashed on his head.

"Darn it! Master Shifu, I could do it, I swear I could," he said, wringing his hands. His knuckles were still stinging. _Geez, hitting the pillar was seriously not one of my better ideas._

"You misunderstand, Po. Inner peace is not a technique. It is a way of life. Like the Sacred Peach Tree, it must be tended to and cared for every day. Only through great patience and fortitude will such cultivation bear fruit," his master said. Shifu ambled over to the pool and touched the surface with his staff. Together they watched as the ripples panned out across the vacant black water. "I myself took many years to find inner peace. It was only because of Master Oogway and you that I was able to reach it. But every day, I must take the time to reflect on how it came to be this way. I must not lose myself in any delusions."

"I know, I know, I gave you a hard time, didn't I?" Po said with a half-hearted smirk.

"It was your incompetence that opened my eyes," Shifu agreed, though he smirked in return. "But it was more than that. You forced me to face myself and what was holding me back. Training you forced me to see the truth—that I was too prideful, and true kung fu can never be about pride."

"So what are you saying?"

"Stop hiding, Po. I believe you when you say you were able to find a moment of peace back in Gongmen City. But now you have all sorts of new feelings and doubts that cloud your spirit again, and you must face those too. It may very well be the most terrifying thing you ever do, to see the truth of yourself. However, if you don't face it, you will never be able to walk the path of inner peace. You must take the first step," Shifu said gently.

"The first step…but what if I go in the wrong direction? Or what if I trip-because I tend to do that?" Po turned around and was met with silence and no Master Shifu in sight. "You could at least give me a warning when you do that so I don't look like a crazy guy talking to myself!" he shouted, hoping his master would hear him in the cavern wherever he decided to magically reappear.

Po grimaced, turning away again from the populated areas. If Master Shifu had to work every day to maintain inner peace, he had his work cut out for him. How could he master something so tedious and complicated in such a short time, especially when he had no idea where to get started? Meditation had never been his strong suit, but he decided to give it a shot. His thoughts wandered to his birth parents, trying desperately to remember their faces.

The only things that surfaced were snippets of nostalgia—the smell of grass after rain, the tickle of a sea breeze, the scent of boiling radishes, a woman's laughter. After that, he remembered noodles. Po opened his eyes. "I am Po," he had said to the Soothsayer when she asked him who he was, and he remembered understanding completely what that meant at the time. Now, though, trying to regain that understanding was like trying to remember how something made sense in a dream. The edges were blurred around everything, and all feelings of enlightenment died within the fringes of his mind.

_Who am I?_ Deep inside, he could tell that until the question was answered, inner peace would be a lofty, impossible dream in the same way kung fu had once been. A sudden anger welled up in him.

"This is all that Shen's fault. If he hadn't been so…so evil, I could have grown up with my parents. None of this would be happening. My friends wouldn't be in trouble—" He paused. If he had lived with his parents the whole time, he might not even _have_ his friends, might not have become a fan of kung fu, might not have become the Dragon Warrior.

_Your story may not have such a happy beginning, but that doesn't make you who you are—it is the rest of your story, who you choose to be._ He had been told this on two occasions: once from his father and once from the Soothsayer. He had to admit, a lot of really wonderful, beautiful things had happened to him, and Po realized he wasn't sure if it was worth giving up, even if he could have his parents back. Was it a bad thing to feel that way? How could he think something like that? They were his parents! Yet no matter which way he looked at it, the idea of never growing up with his foster dad, never learning kung fu, never meeting Masters Shifu and Oogway, the Furious Five, Tigress…it all seemed empty without them. Not to mention, each time he tried to remember his real parents, all that came up in his mind was a smiling, chattering goose.

"Oh, dad," he murmured.

Later that night, Po sought out Master Shifu after dinner. _Would Master Shifu have been able to find inner peace if he'd never met me?_ Po thought absently. After his attempt at meditation, he found himself pondering all the "What ifs?" that came to his mind.

"You wanted to talk some more?" asked his Master.

"Yeah, you kind of walked out on our last discussion," Po said dryly.

"My apologies. There were some new refugees who arrived. I should have warned you," Shifu replied. "Did you make any progress?"

"A little, if you can call it progress. I mean, is it bad to not really want to give up all the things that have happened to me if I were offered a chance to have my parents back? Am I a bad person for not being sure about it?"

Shifu met his eyes, his expression compassionate. "Po, it does no good to dwell on what might have happened."

"But if it were possible? I really don't know what choice I would make!" Po said, rubbing his forehead in exasperation.

"There is no reason something very good and worthwhile cannot come out of something very horrific. I think your parents would have wanted you to be happy. The fact that you're alive, and you feel your life is worth living, I think would be enough for them. Po, with your life you've created something beautiful. You have people who love you. And your parents will never truly be gone, so long as you remember the love they had for you."

"Something good can come out of something bad," Po repeated, his brow furrowing in thought. "The Soothsayer said something similar. My story and who I choose to be makes me who I am."

"I think she's right," Shifu said quietly, nodding and staring at the campfire with a distant expression.

"That's it then. I can just choose who I am? Just like that?" Po asked. It seemed too simple a solution. "Then how come I can't choose inner peace and be done with it?"

"Because it's so easy to lie to yourself. Inner peace is a choice, but you must jump over many great obstacles to come to terms with that choice. One thing you must understand is that this is the life you live, and it is the only life. You are the only one who can tell your story. Don't expect it to be more than it is."

"I guess…" Po said, watching the fire dance. While the memories of his past were blurry, he was sure of one thing: his mother and father lost their lives fighting to protect his. They died loving him. If it were true that he alone had the power to control his life and his identity, he owed it to them to give his best effort.

There was a commotion at the mouth of the cavern, and master and disciple looked up to see what the cause was. There were refugees gathering and blocking their view, though a shout could be heard over their chatter.

"Master Shifu! Where is Master Shifu? This is urgent!"

Shifu and Po hurried over, pushing through the crowd. Po recognized the newcomers as the scouting troupe that had left a week ago. Yet, he recalled there being three of them.

There was only a rat and a snake, panting and soaking wet, as though they had sprinted across the continent to reach them.

"What happened?" Shifu demanded.

"Compromised," the rat gasped. "Shen was in the middle of the city for no freaking reason. Min was spotted."

"And?" Po shouted, causing everyone to flinch.

"Shen doesn't suspect her true intentions just yet. She said she would do her best to buy you time, but we have to make our move now," the grass snake said.

Po looked aghast, turning to his master. Shifu rubbed his chin, deep in thought. Finally, he barked, "Everyone who is active in the resistance, gather at the central tent. We need to discuss our rescue plan."

Po stood frozen as he watched everyone gather. _This changes everything_.


	8. Chapter 8

I am not dead.

To those of you who are still persevering in following this story, I am truly grateful. I'll be honest, the chapters are getting harder and harder to write as the story starts moving. But no matter how long I take, I promise I am not dead and this story is not dead. I will absolutely finish it, no matter what or how long it takes or how annoyed I become with it. Not to mention, school is a lot harder this year than last year so an increased workload combined with decreased motivation means I write a lot slower.

I don't have much to say about this chapter except that you get to see an interesting side of Shen. I tried to keep all the scenarios as realistic as possible, but since I am posting this as I go, it's not going to be perfect, no matter how hard I try. Feel free to make commentary, but also please bear with me in that regard.

Again, all reviews, alerts and favorites are noticed and go a long way in making me feel motivated to continue writing. Thank you very much for your patience and encouragement.

Summary: The paths Shen took in the past seem only to lead deeper into darkness. But through the eyes of those who have woven themselves into his life, a new story unfolds-one leading away from old misery and guilt-that may yet bring him redemption. Slight AU. **Chapter 8-Shen and Min, both tense after the dinner incident take turns calling each other out on key flaws.**

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><p>Chapter 8<p>

_Shen._

Shen had fumed for days following the dinner with the peahen. A good portion of his anger was dedicated to her audacity, but the other portion was aimed at the peafowl nobles she claimed to represent. To think that they would go so far as to send a spy to him, and that they thought they could blackmail him! He had no need of their support. They had never been there in the past, and he didn't need them now. Truly, it was in _their_ best interests to comply with him, lest he blast their fancy manors to smithereens, those foul hypocrites.

_They have only ever tried to usurp me_, he thought acidly. _They put on a pretty face for show, but I could always hear what they said of me. How dare they treat me like a petty obstacle?_

That peahen may have thought she had the upper hand, may have interpreted his inaction as resignation, but Shen had other ideas. Admittedly, her sudden transformation from awkward, suspicious peasant to blatantly insolent noblewoman had thrown him for a moment. Shen felt his train flatten against the floor in cold fury at the memory of her smirk as she excused herself from the table. Eventually, she would have to make contact with whichever family she represented, and then he would know where and how to strike. Either that, or Shen would allow no word of his business to leave the city by her hand, and a silent spy was a useless one as far as Shen was concerned.

However, there were several things that continued to bother him about her. She was not being reticent only about where she came from. There was something more in her eyes, particularly when her appearance was in question. Normally, it would not strike Shen as odd that one of noble birth would be offended if their appearance were insulted, but it was not that typical, superficial indignation that he had grown accustomed to seeing in his youth. With this peahen, he could see other emotions driving forward like a knife thrust from her bright eyes—emotions akin to resentment, bitterness, and even a touch of resignation to an ugly truth. It was odd how much her eyes reminded him of his own, staring scornfully at his own reflection, at all the aspects of himself that he hated.

Shen was aware of the tenuous balance he would have to maintain with a spy in his midst. Simply executing her was always a consideration, but there was little benefit he could gain from that, considering how little information she had offered.

_I could extract information by force_. The idea of torture left a bad taste in his mouth. He wasn't _that_ desperate. Besides, there was no guarantee she would succumb to it. From his observations, it was evident why she had been chosen for this sort of mission. Vexing and audacious as she was, she was not a sniveling weakling who would give up without a fight. It was hard to believe she had any noble blood in her for that matter. In any case, patience was likely his best option for getting what he wanted—patience and clever prying.

What mattered most to him at the moment was revitalizing his army as quickly as possible before any rebellions managed to gain footing in the conquered provinces. Shen had holed himself up in his war room for days on end after the dinner, reliving the battle with the barbarian hoard that had brought him some renown among his citizens.

He sat examining the blue prints for his cannons, drumming his feathered fingers on the table. The cannons had been infinitely useful in the battle—at a long distance. Once the barbarians had closed in, everything fell into hand-to-hand combat again and the advantage of firearms dissipated quickly. There had to be improvements he could make—but what?

"What is it about war that gives you so much joy?"

Shen whipped around at the grating, familiar voice. The peahen stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame. She was dressed in pale lavender robes lined with prominent violet stitching—royal colors. It was as though she meant to offend just by her choice of wardrobe.

"Who let you in here?" Shen demanded, his hands clenching. "Do you think you have free reign in this house?"

"You had no guards," she replied, her face a mask.

"Perhaps I shall assign some if you continue to assume you can go snooping wherever you please. Now get out."

"Maybe you forgot why I'm here. Certainly not to sit in my room and observe furniture," said the peahen, folding her arms and stepping farther into the room.

Shen swept his tail into her path, forcing her to stop. "You. Out. Now," he spat. The last thing he wanted was for her to get a good look at his war plans. The main reason for his dominance was the fact that no one else knew how to replicate his cannons yet.

"You could just answer my question," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Why should you care about my motives?" he retorted, turning away and returning to his place at the table. He pulled some of his more important papers toward him and turned them over. If the peahen was going to be obstinate, he would at least take the time to draw some answers out of her.

"I simply don't understand how you could possibly be so excited by the idea of causing death and destruction. You've been sitting in this room for days. It's as though you enjoy being here," she said, and Shen's eyes narrowed at the way her beak curled in disgust.

"Do not give me that look," he said in a low, dangerous voice. She straightened up in alarm at his sudden change in tone. "That look on your face is one I never want to see again, and if you do that ever again, I will cut your face open. I can't believe I couldn't tell you were of high birth from the start. Nobles are all the same, all judging me as though they are better than me. You are all a bunch of scavengers, hovering around me and my family like crows, searching for a weak point, waiting to usurp us. Maybe you thought I was the weak point you had been waiting for, but _you thought wrong_. It is not war that brings me joy, _peahen_," Shen snarled, "it is the _power_—the power to sweep the ground from underneath your conniving little feet and power to clip your wings when you try to fly from me. Does that answer satisfy you?"

The peahen looked appropriately stricken, and Shen turned away and allowed himself a smug smile at having successfully silenced her.

She was only quiet for a moment, however. Instead of leaving, she replied, "That doesn't justify waging war on everyone else. Some of the provinces you invaded had not even heard of you, much less tried to usurp you. What does conquering China have anything to do with exacting revenge on scheming vassals?"

"Who would underestimate the one who united the provinces under and iron fist? Who would dare talk back to an emperor and invade his personal space without permission?" Shen glared at the peahen for good measure. "How often have I been discounted as weak because of my color? Surely you of all people could understand what it means to be judged based on appearance," he said sardonically. The peahen blushed with anger, and Shen grinned at her indignation. "But enough of that. I refuse to play anyone else's game but my own. From now on, I make my own rules, and those who won't follow them shall be crushed beneath my feet."

"That's it then?" she said, trembling with fury. "Everything is just a game to you? It is fun to you to play with other people's lives just so you can feel better about yourself, just because people judged you in the past. Get over yourself."

He could feel an old anger rising—not a fiery anger as in his temper tantrums, but one that ran deep inside him, cold in his heart. It was a feeling of being barely on the verge of snapping, yet somehow he was able to contain himself, and he felt the venom of resentment and hatred channel itself into a singular point. Of course everything was a game to him. How stupid of her to be so surprised. He looked at her and saw the exact same person as anyone he had ever met. He saw his advisors, his tutors, his subjects, even his own parents—all looking back at him with that same self-righteous _knowing_. Everything was a game because that's all his life had ever been to anyone else. _Play by these rules, Shen. You can't do this. You can't do that. That is wrong. That is immoral, not right, evil._ What ever gave them the right to say what was good or evil, as though they were simple matters of black and white?

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue? Or do you admit that I'm right about you?" the peahen snapped at his long silence.

The knife flew from his hand before either of them realized what was happening. The silver blade whizzed across the room and the peahen let out a high-pitched cry of pain. Shen numbly gazed down at his hand, still extended where he had loosed the knife. He looked at the peahen, sprawled on the floor, holding her cheek where the knife had grazed her, blood flowing down her arm and neck. She stared up at him accusingly, breathing heavily.

The peahen's eyes always told him everything he needed to know. They told him when she was uncomfortable or lying or angry. Right now her eyes challenged him. She was not afraid, even though he could continue to hurt her. She was surprised that she had been able to goad him that far. What Shen fixated on, though, was the triumph. She had been judging him, and despite the fact that she never knew his whole story, she believed she had judged him correctly, and he had just proved everything she needed to know the instant he had thrown that knife.

"No," Shen murmured. "You're wrong. You think you know everything, but you know nothing—nothing at all. I hate your judgment, and I hate you. You think you are better than me, but you and I are really so alike. Everyone is so alike and none of you are better than me! The only difference between us is that my weapons are made of metal and gunpowder while yours are made of words! You are all hypocrites, and I hate you the way you hate me. Now, for the last time, peahen, get out before I make you bleed even more."

This time, slowly, she stood and obeyed, backing out the door. Just before she vanished from sight, Shen heard her mutter, "I'm sorry." He sat, statuesque, as he listened to her footfalls fade as she hurried down the hall. Shen closed his eyes slowly, feeling a headache pounding to life.

_Sorry._ He let out a disbelieving laugh that came out shaky. "Who's sorry?" he said, chuckling like a madman. He felt as though he had recently come out of a great battle and was giddy with adrenaline. _But who won?_ he wondered.

It was true. Life was a game. There were always winners and losers, but how could one tell which was which? It all depended on the rules one played by. Either way, it was a vicious, gory game-every animal for himself. Shen knew, in the end, the only one he could count on was himself. _Sorry_, he thought, recalling the peahen's barely audible words. What did "sorry" matter in the end? It was only a word, and compared to tangible weapons like swords and cannons, words were merely wind. Words were nothing. Words did nothing. They were so foggy and useless. Yet he could not shake the feeling that in all the battles he had ever fought, in and out of war, the weapons made of words were the most poisonous, painful, lethal sort of them all.

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><p>Min is not guiltless herself. She's got a lot of her own act to clean up before she can really start criticizing Shen. Next chapter will either be her or Lang (Boss Wolf).<p>

I'll be getting the KFP2 dvd for Christmas so that should help motivate me! Yay!


	9. Chapter 9

Finally finished Chapter 9, and it's from Lang's perspective. I scribbled a basic outline of the rest of the chapters so I know who's coming next and what's happening in each chapter. Based on the projections, there's going to end up being a lot of Min since she's sort of my neutral narrator device connecting pretty much all the characters together. I hope that doesn't bother anyone too much, but I don't see how else to set up the story since I need to squish in a ton of character development before the ending.

This chapter is all about Lang slowly making his way toward an important epiphany which will be revealed in a later chapter as well as establishing the beginning of a relationship with him and Min. Hope I've made the character interaction interesting enough so that you aren't bored, since this fic is largely based on character interaction. Let me know what you think!

Also, thank you, again to all the people who have faved, alerted, or reviewed this story. I really appreciate all the feedback and support I've been receiving!

Summary: The paths Shen took in the past seem only to lead deeper into darkness. But through the eyes of those who have woven themselves into his life, a new story unfolds-one leading away from old misery and guilt-that may yet bring him redemption. Slight AU. **Chapter 9-Lang begins to question the meaning of his relationship with Shen**

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><p>Chapter 9.<p>

_Lang._

Lang confirmed his suspicion that an altercation had been taking place when the peahen hurried out of Shen's "thinking room" and brushed past him as she ran down the hall. The wolf boss had been on his way to check on the situation after hearing the voice of Shen, its pitch elevated with tension, the likes of which Lang hadn't heard in ages.

"Sir, is everything alright in here?" Lang asked, poking his head in the doorway.

Shen barely turned his head in acknowledgement. "Of course it is. Why would it not be?"

Lang licked at his teeth, uncertain whether to push the subject. He surveyed the room with small brown feathers scattered on the carpet and smelled fresh blood—the lady's blood. He heard the slight catch in Shen's voice that anyone other than Lang himself would have missed. He thought back to the discussion of promises he had with Hao. It seemed to Lang that something had shifted in Shen's relationship to everyone the day the lady peahen arrived. So Lang spoke up.

"Something's telling me you're not being truthful," he ventured carefully.

Lang had learned to trust in his senses, and yet again, his trust proved to be well-founded. Instead of snapping about insolence or being flea-bitten as was usual, Shen was quiet for a moment, staring intently at one of his cannon blueprints.

"What could it possibly matter if I've told you the truth? Trust me, Lang, the truth does nothing but make you realize how worthless the world is," Shen said.

Lang's ear perked and twitched at the sound of his name coming from Shen's beak. Shen had taken to calling him "wolf" or "dog" or some other degrading title during their years of exile so it sounded outright weird to hear. _Gee, are we having a moment here?_ he wondered.

"Wait, how can I trust you if you don't tell the truth? That doesn't really make any sense…" Lang said. He knew Shen hated when he took things too literally, but Lang felt such observations needed to be made sometimes, if not just to get his old companion riled up like in the good old days. Then again, before his life went to hell, Shen had been less likely to brandish a knives when upset.

Fortunately for Lang, Shen was apparently apathetic enough to merely grace him with a look of ire. "You _know_ what I meant," Shen said sharply. "Besides, the only one you can really trust is yourself. I know that now."

"Not even an old friend?" Lang asked seriously.

Shen closed his eyes in deliberation. "Perhaps."

Lang nodded slowly, sensing the finality in Shen's tone. _Okay, moment over. Better get moving before he flips out on me._ Lang turned and padded quietly out the door, feeling more uncertain than he had when he had entered.

He sniffed the air, finding the peahen's scent which led down the long corridors, no doubt toward her room. Perhaps she would be more willing to explain what exactly happened with Shen. What exactly had she said that made him act so strangely?

Her door was slightly ajar, so Lang felt free to push it open and enter. The peahen turned sharply at the sound of the hinges creaking, looking guarded at the sight of a wolf entering her chambers.

"Easy there, Miss Peahen," he said, raising a placating paw. "I just wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?" she asked tersely. Lang could feel her edginess with every hair on his body. She had her hand pressed up to her cheek, feathered fingers stained deep red, and she was nearly backed against a wall.

"What happened with Shen? I haven't seen him worked up like that in a long while." Lang watched as the bloodstain continued to spread down her neck and wing. "Uh, you might want to patch up that cut," he said, gesturing to her wound.

"It looks worse than it is," the peahen said dismissively. "The knife only grazed me. Facial injuries seem to bleed more than other wounds." Her brow was knit. "It could have been much worse, though, if I hadn't jerked away. Still," she continued, her frown only deepening, "he looked like he didn't mean to do it. It was weird. And the things he said…Now I'm just confused about him."

"Yeah? So what did he say? I've known the guy my entire life, almost, and I've never been more confused what's going on in his head than I am now," Lang said. "I've got stuff to worry about too, y'know. Help a guy out here, will you?"

"I don't know. It happened so fast. I thought I knew everything there was to know about his character, but a crack in the mask opens up and suddenly, there's a whole layer of _something_ underneath all his pomp, and dramatics—something akin to hurt," the peahen said carefully.

"Well, see, that's the thing with people. You think you know 'em, but it's all just guessing," Lang said with a light sigh. _Sometimes people are all exactly the same_.

"Yes, Shen did go off about judgment, and while I can see how that's hurtful, it's no excuse for the things he did," the peahen said, looking Lang in the eye fiercely.

"Doesn't mean you know everything about the person either," Lang retorted. It was the same self-righteous lecture all the time. He had to admit they were right, though. Shen had done some terrible things, and Lang had followed along like his faithful, stupid dog, never protesting once. "We've done a lot of stuff that can't be excused, maybe, but sometimes you feel like you're sliding down a muddy slope that you can't climb alone, and no one's gonna help you up because they decide you don't deserve it. What other choice do you have but to just kick back and go with the flow?"

The peahen slid down the wall into a sitting position, propping her chin on her fists. The flow of blood seemed to have stopped for the most part, though she looked completely filthy to Lang, and reeked something terrible. "What about you, then? You don't seem so bad, but…you were there, weren't you? At the panda village. How could you do something so cruel, yet seem to be so kind right now?"

"What's keeping me from being both at once? I was a young wolf at the time. Shen was my prince. I was loyal to him—still am. Who was I to say no when he called me to follow him? How would I have known what the cost would be?" Lang said. He could still recall the screaming and the flames. Over the years, he'd learned to block out the memories, to not over think the events of that day. Maybe Shen still relived that day in his head, justifying, rationalizing over and over. Maybe that's why he seemed to be unraveling slowly but steadily. The peahen was only the catalyst for a meltdown that had been a long time coming. Only today, Lang realized that his old friend was completely lost and even now had not found his way home. _He's still in exile in his head. Gods, I'm just a stupid, stupid dog to not figure it out all this time. All the cannons, the plans for world domination, it was all to take back what belonged to him or burn the world down trying. What do I do, though? What good is the lone wolf when he's up against the world?_

"You're never going to abandon him, are you? You'll follow him to the grave if that's where he takes you," the peahen said with a mixture of shock and admiration.

"There's a saying that's been passed down through generations of wolf packs. 'A wolf never breaks a promise.' I made a promise to Shen that I would be his friend until the end of our days and beyond. I'll die before I go back on my word."

"Even if it's not the right thing to do?" the peahen asked.

"Listen, Shen's got this way of eliminating everyone important from his life. His parents banished him, and now they're dead. He exiled his old nanny. There's just me, clinging on by his tail feathers, before he's left all alone in the world he's convinced is out to get him. So I don't give a damn about being right. No one deserves to feel like they're alone," Lang growled, tail flicking in agitation and anger.

"Shen is lucky, I guess, to have a friend like you," she finally replied, avoiding eye contact. Standing abruptly, she made her way to the door. "I'd better clean myself up," she said distantly before leaving Lang alone in the stifling room.

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><p>The following evening, Lang sat at the bar of a tavern with a much-improved Captain Hao. The two of them had taken supper there and were washing down their meal with spirits. Over their dinner, Lang shared his observations and thoughts concerning Shen and the lady peahen.<p>

"What bothers me the most is how helpless I feel," Lang said. "Look, I know you and most of the other wolves aren't too fond of Shen, but—"

"No, but we understand how you feel, believe it or not. Boss, I'll follow you off the edge of the earth if that's where the damned peacock takes you and so will all the rest. You aren't a lone wolf. No such thing," said Hao after taking a great swig of his drink.

"Yeah, but there's still the question of what I should do. I always wondered if Shen was taking us all in the right direction. I know a lot of people don't think so, but if I got in his way, I always thought that would be betraying his trust, y'know? Whatever the answer is, it can't keep going on like this," Lang said, absently scratching at his bad eye. The tavern was open-air, and Lang had an easy view of the sky from where he sat. Somewhere in the distance, someone was showing off the fireworks of Gongmen, and Lang's ears flicked with every muffled _boom_.

"Funny, isn't it, how everybody loves the fireworks, but nobody loves cannons?" Lang commented lazily. "They're the same thing—just make a buncha explosions."

Hao grunted in agreement as the two of them watched the colors burst in the air on the dark, new moon night. "People are weird like that," Hao said. "I don't really like 'em though. Too damn loud. It all depends on what you use them for anyway."

At some tables in the corner of the tavern, voices rose to shouts as a pig squared off with a goat, hollering about loaded dice and bets.

"Ugh, what's going on?" Hao groaned, looking up from his drink. "Hey! Can it over there, will ya?"

"Keep your pointy nose out of this, wolf!" the pig shouted.

"Whatchu say to me, fat pig?" Hao snarled under his breath, standing quickly.

"Whoa, Hao, shake your hackles down, you're drunk like hell," Lang said, putting a firm paw on Hao's shoulder and forcing him back into his seat. "Not worth it to get into it with them."

A crowd had gathered around the two quarreling gamblers, some rooting for a fight while others were trying to restrain them. The goat managed to break free and was ready to throw a punch when a younger pig jumped in between the two and took the hit. The bartender bellowed his threats to throw them out and the crowd managed to pull the angry animals apart before the problem escalated.

"You two couldn't have done something?" the bartender demanded grouchily when he returned.

Lang shrugged. "We ain't the police." Hao grumbled about being able to take all of them out if Lang had let him. "Oh shut up, Hao. You just got over a concussion." Lang was annoyed that the bartender wanted to place the blame on him. Two drunken gamblers having an argument was definitely not a problem he wanted to add to his plate. He was intrigued by the pig who _had_ intervened. Lang wondered if he was a friend of the older pig or just a bystander who got too involved. _Shoulda let the dummies duke it out. You didn't have to get yourself socked in the face_.

"It doesn't matter if you're the police or not. You aren't helping if you do nothing," the bartender said, handing Lang his bill.

"Whatever," Lang said, snatching the bill and then handing the bartender his money. He and Hao made their way into the street, Hao stumbling slightly. He'd had much more to drink than Lang.

When he and Hao split up, Hao headed off to the barracks where the rest of the wolves resided, and Lang turned up the street toward Shen's mansion. The upper districts were quieter, only a few people wandering the lantern-lit streets. As Lang crossed over the canal, he could see the dark, looming shape of the Tower of Sacred Flame's remains. Lang let himself reminisce in silence for a moment, thinking of all the history that came with that place Shen had burned to the ground.

_If someone is doing a bad thing, and I do nothing, does that automatically make me a bad person too?_ he wondered, feeling more disturbed by the bartender's words than he really ought to be. _If Shen wants to jump of the edge of the world, does the good friend jump after him, or does he catch him before he falls?_

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><p>"Can it" as in "shut up"<p>

Po is up next.


	10. Chapter 10

Holy. Freaking. Moly. This chapter was so hard to write. I don't even know if I did it well. Freaking hell. I suck at emotional moments hahaa...

At least I published it in a fairly timely manner for once.

Hope you enjoy. But if you don't, as always, I ask that you explain why so that I can improve later.

Summary: The paths Shen took in the past seem only to lead deeper into darkness. But through the eyes of those who have woven themselves into his life, a new story unfolds-one leading away from old misery and guilt-that may yet bring him redemption. Slight AU. **Chapter 10-Po and the others finally begin to act on a plan to rescue the Five. As usual, when Po is involved, things don't work as well in practice as in theory.**

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><p>Chapter 10.<p>

_Po._

"The kung fu masters are all heavily guarded. There are wolves crawling over literally every inch of the prison," Wing explained to Shifu, Po and several others who assisted in leading the rebellion. They were all gathered around the makeshift map Wing had drawn of Gongmen City. The location of the destroyed Tower of Sacred Flame, the fireworks factory, the prison, and Shen's mansion were marked in red ink on the parchment. "This is going to be a delicate operation. We can't just go busting in the prison. Shen's army is massive, from what I could see of it. Even after freeing the Five, Ox and Croc, we'll still be way outnumbered, not to mention, there are Shen's weapons to worry about."

"Then we'll need to thin out the defenses somehow," Shifu said, rubbing his chin and staring hard at the map.

"As in a diversion?" Lien asked.

Wing gave a wicked grin. "Like a fireworks show?"

"Gongmen City is the birthplace of fireworks. That hardly sounds like a diversion. The people are likely so accustomed to them that they won't care," Shifu argued.

"Yeah, maybe so, but don't we all tell our kiddies not to play with fire indoors?" Wing replied, still grinning as though waiting for everyone to come to the same conclusion he had made minutes ago.

"I remember my friends were trying to blow up the fireworks factory with gunpowder barrels," Po interrupted suddenly. He paused, embarrassed. "And I guess it probably would have worked if I'd listened to Tigress and stayed put…"

Shifu's eyes widened with understanding. "Of course. The Five are going to be one of Shen's priorities. If we want him to reallocate his defenses, we'll need to hit the sensitive points."

"We take out the factory and the cannons along with it, creating a distraction that Shen will _definitely_ have to pay attention to, not to mention, we'll clean out his source of firepower. Then it'll be mano-a-mano from there. No guns, just fists," Wing finished nicely.

"What happens after we break them out?" Po asked. "I mean, I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to kick some serious butt. I'm sure my friends will want a nice warm-up after being stuck in prison for so long."

"Not unless it's necessary," Shifu said sternly. "We'll be in the heart of enemy territory. Shen and his army will have a home-field advantage, even without the cannons. Not to mention, there will be civilians everywhere. A large scale fight could put innocent lives in danger."

"Oh, alright," Po said, slouching a little. He straightened up again abruptly. "How about just a little bit of butt-kicking? You won't even see it. It'll be _that_ little," he said.

Shifu rolled his eyes. "Po, try to show a bit of restraint here."

"Okay, okay, don't worry. I know what's at stake too. Just trying to keep everybody a bit loose," Po said, instinctively shaking out his shoulders. He had to admit, he was tense himself. Everyone was. He had no knowing of what could happen to his friends. Back when they were trying to storm Shen's tower, he got a glimpse of how unpredictable the peacock really was. One moment, he's laughing at someone's expense, then BAM knife in your face, then laughing like a psycho again. Po had to wonder what it was like to be so tightly wound all the time. He looked around at the concentrated faces in the circle. Even now, no one was as tense as the peacock had been when they met. _I suppose I'd be a complete nut-bag if I was that neurotic every day of my life_.

Po felt a strange, fleeting sensation of pity for Shen. He got over it quickly though. No matter what, that peacock was responsible for the death of his parents, the destruction of a large part of Gongmen City, and many other crimes Po could have no knowledge of.

"What exactly are we going to do once we blow up the factory though? It's not like everyone's going to evacuate the prison, leaving a bunch of kung fu masters unguarded," Po pointed out.

"I can help with that," Lien said. She was a thin little thing, especially compared to the graceful, yet sturdy body of Viper. "It'll be easy for me to slip into the prison if the guards are distracted, which they probably will be in the chaos of trying to decide who will stay and who will go."

"You'll need help though. It'll take too long for you to break all of them out in time," Shifu said.

"Viper can pick locks with her tail," Po said.

"And I have other friends among these refugees who can help as well," Lien added.

"I'd better bring up another important point—one related to the Valley of Peace," Wing said. "We had a bit of trouble getting back into the Valley. I think the wolves are getting a bit suspicious. They were patrolling the river. It's too risky for an entire rescue party to try and make their way to sea the same way the scouting groups have."

"Then we'll have to use the main harbor," Shifu said, gritting his teeth slightly. He turned to Po. "The question is, how are we going to get _you_ there without anyone noticing?"

"Me? Naw, you don't need to worry about me. I learned a lot about stealth in Gongmen City—mostly through mistakes, but that's not the point!" Po said.

Shifu raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because you breathe so loudly, I could fight you in the dark."

"Hey, I'm a big guy. I need a lot of air," Po retorted.

"Especially on the stairs," Wing muttered.

"Stairs are uncool inventions, alright? Don't see why people like to build all these tall things," Po said.

"Let's be serious please," Shifu said. "As for hiding Po and other high-profile people such as myself, I've got an idea."

Once again, Po found himself stuffed in a grain barrel, riding on a cart down the main valley road to the docks. Master Shifu and others who would be recognized by the wolves were also hiding in barrels, but Po couldn't help but think that they were a bit more comfortable than he was.

"I think this situation is a bit unfair in favor of the slightly smaller people," he whispered to Master Shifu who was hiding in the next barrel.

"It's the only option we had besides trying to throw a canvas cloth over you and say we were carting hay. Somehow, I think this is a _bit_ more convincing," Shifu said sardonically, "especially considering hay is not supposed to look like it's moving."

Po grunted uncomfortably in response and tried to peek out from between the slats in the barrel. The view was obscured, but he could still tell it was the familiar environment of the central road leading down from the Jade Palace. A rush of excitement and apprehension passed through him. They would be passing the noodle shop! He watched with increased attention, hoping to catch a sight of his dad.

"What's the big idea? What do you mean you aren't serving noodles today?" The coarse shout made Po tense. The voice he heard next made him gasp involuntarily.

"Well, you see, sir, I can't make noodles because I _have_ no noodles."

Po struggled to see what was going on, the wood of the barrel creaking as he moved.

"Po, calm yourself. You can't risk being seen," Shifu warned him.

"What kind of noodle shop doesn't have noodles?" the wolf growled. "I think you're lying."

"None of you wolves ever pay me. I have no money to purchase my ingredients," Po heard his dad say nervously.

"Stay still, Po," Shifu said. He received no answer, not even the sound of breathing. "Po?"

"And why should we have to pay? We're Lord Shen's army and we—" the wolf could not manage to say anything more since his face was currently mashed into the stone wall. Po breathed heavily, his fist aching in the most satisfying way. He turned around, and the other wolves in the restaurant lurched in fear and surprise.

"If you aren't going to pay money," Po growled, "you can pay in bloody knuckles and broken bones."

"A panda!" the wolves shouted. "Not _the _panda is he?"

Po lunged forward, and the wolves toppled over themselves, trying to make their way toward the door. One of them tilted his head back and began a howl, but was cut short by Master Shifu who smacked him down with his staff and sent him flying backward into the wall. Po slammed his fist into the face of another wolf. He heard the last one coming up behind him and whipped his other arm around, his elbow catching the wolf right under the jaw. It yelped before collapsing into a dead faint. Only then did Po settle himself and turn to his dad.

"_Get inside. Now_!" Shifu hissed, pushing them into the kitchen. He waved the rest of the rescue party forward, beckoning for them to continue their way down to the harbor as planned. Then he shut the door to the shop.

"Po! You're alive! You're alive!" his dad cried, voice breaking. He felt Po's face and stomach, as though making sure he was solid. "You're real. You're not dead. They said you were dead!" he sobbed, clutching onto Po who wrapped his arms around his dad's small form. He could feel his face warm as his own tears welled up and ran freely.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come see you before. I wasn't allowed to be seen," Po said. It was too late now, but as if he would stand by and watch the wolves bully his father.

"I knew you weren't dead. I didn't believe them." His voice was muffled as he spoke into Po's fur.

"Listen, I understand you're overjoyed to see each other, I truly do, but I must remind you that we are in a very dangerous situation right now. Mr. Ping, you aren't safe here. Po isn't safe here either. We must get you to the refugee camp somehow…" Shifu ran his hands down his face, his old age starting to show itself. "We've blown our only cover." He opened the door a crack and peered outside. "The wolves are still unconscious, but we have to make sure they can't easily report that they've seen you."

"Is that okay with you, Dad?" Po asked. "You'll be safe at the camp. The wolves won't be able to find you there."

"What about you, Po?" his dad asked. "You just got back. Don't tell me you are going back into all that danger again! What if you die for real this time? Don't do that to me again!"

"I have to," Po said, feeling helpless. "They're all counting on me to help lead them. I'm the Dragon Warrior."

"I don't care! You're my son! Even if you aren't _really_ my son, you're still my son!" Dad protested. "Why can't you just stay here where it's safe? You can stay, and we'll make noodles together, just like before."

Po could see his dad's heart breaking in front of him. "I'll always come back to you, Dad," he said quietly. "No matter how long it takes, or what stands in my way, I'll come back. I won't let you down, just like I won't let anyone else down, ever again. That's why I have to go." He gently picked his father up and set him on the ground.

"Mr. Ping, follow me. I'll be able to get you to the refugee hideout. Po, you wait for me here. Once I drop your father off, we'll need to fight our way out. I don't see any other way," Master Shifu said.

"If we don't want to be seen, the back door is better," his dad interrupted quietly, as though talking was already taking up too much energy. He hung his head as he led Shifu out to the back alley. In one swift motion, Po scooped him up and pulled him into a final, tight hug.

"My little panda," his father murmured. "I'll be waiting for you with a nice dinner."

"Don't worry. I'll be back before the food gets cold," Po said, squeezing his eyes tight and slowly releasing his dad.

Shifu led his dad out the door, checking the alleys to make sure the coast was clear before leaving. Po watched his father go, never looking away until he and Shifu had completely vanished from sight. When the back door clicked shut, Po was left alone in the darkness and silence.

_I'm always your son, Dad. There should never have even been a question. I am who I choose to be, and my destiny is what I make it._

As in the moment when the ripples finally settle in the surface of water, Po's mind finally settled, calm and clear. His mother and father were gone forever from his life, but they still lived in him, and their love was still present everywhere around him. Po was not alone the way Shen was alone, and in that moment, he knew when they met again that was why Po would win.

He remembered the meaning of his answer to the Soothsayer's question. He had said, "I am Po," because there was no other answer to give. It was the entire truth—the truth of himself as Master Shifu had explained back in the cave. Every virtue and every flaw he had came together to create his identity and his story. He was a perfect circle of yin and yang, a true warrior of black and white.

_But we all are. Everyone is like this, not just me. It's only when we take one side and not the other that we lie to ourselves and become…not us. We're all made up of black and white on the inside, me, Master Shifu, even Tai Lung and Shen. And inner peace comes from the perfect balance between them._

The back door squeaked, and Po lurched up, fists ready.

"Settle down, it's only me. Your father is fine," Shifu whispered, his ears flicking back and forth, scanning the area for hidden dangers. "Back alley. Let's go. Hurry."

They shuffled out into the dark alley, the orange sunset lit shooting through the gaps between buildings that blocked them from the main road. Po did his best to move quickly and quietly, using the walls to balance as he knew he wasn't the most graceful on tiptoe. Shifu, on the other hand, moved like a ghost. He stopped at one of the turns, pressing his back against the corner of a building as he peered around it.

"This place is the end of the back alley. It connects to the main road here. We've gotten quite close to the docks now so it's just a hundred yard stretch to get past the wolves on patrol. Are you ready?" Shifu asked.

"I'm in a state of extreme readiness," Po replied, cracking his knuckles.

"Good, then let's go. Run!" Shifu said, darting out into the central road. Po jumped out after him, sprinting toward the docks which were a straight shot ahead of them. Wolves began appearing out of every side street, and Po tucked his shoulder down, barreling into them.

"Hiyaaaaaaaaah!" he shouted, headbutting a wolf that was stupid enough to jump in his way. Master Shifu was dancing nimbly, putting wolves down as easily as one would smack gnats.

A cluster of wolves leaped on top of Po from every direction, slowing down his charge. He grabbed one by the scruff, and used it to swat the others off of him. The wolves whined as their heads knocked against each other. Po threw the wolf ahead of him, knocking incoming attackers to the ground as he ran over them. They were getting close to the boats, but more and more wolves blocked their path.

"Hold it right there, panda!" one of the wolves commanded. The wolves advanced on them, barring the way onto the boat that would take them into Gongmen. Then something bowled a hole in the group of guards.

"Hurry! Get on!" shouted the ox who had been pulling the barrel cart and had knocked the wolves aside.

Po and Master Shifu punched and kicked their way through the tightening hoard. The ox was at the very edge of the gangplank, reaching his hoof out to them. Wing hung from the edge of the ship, a knife brandished, and he sliced the ropes that kept the ship tied to the pier.

"Jump!" he shouted.

Po pushed down a group of wolves, watching them stack on each other like dominos as they fell, and he climbed them like a staircase, leaping onto the deck of the ship.

"Whoaaaa!" Po yelled, as he began sliding off the side. The ox and two large pigs hastily grabbed onto him and pulled him on board. Master Shifu batted away anyone who tried to follow them onto the ship until they were far enough away that the wolves couldn't jump. Po noticed the other boats in the harbor were starting to take off as well.

"Are they _all_ coming with us?" he asked incredulously.

"Nah, but we don't want the wolves following us in those boats," Wing said with a smirk.

"So we struck a nice little deal with the boat owners while we were waiting for you," Lien continued. "They were more than happy to spite those barbarians."

They watched as the wolves frantically milled about on the docks, running back and forth as they tried to figure out what to do.

"That ought to slow them down for a few days," Shifu said triumphantly. "Good work, all of you. Let's hurry on to Gongmen City."

The other animals on the boat nodded firmly, and they began to dip oars in the water to speed up the boat. The Valley of Peace became distant, and Po turned away toward the horizon. The journey would be a long one, but he was glad to be moving forward. The day of reckoning lay ahead of him, but Po looked into the circle of the fading red sun and knew he was ready.

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><p>Shen is up next. Got some character development to do before the story reaches crunch time.<p> 


	11. Chapter 11

I think it's safe to assume that basically all chapters are difficult to write at this point so I'll just stop repeating myself. Haha...

Here is Shen, as promised. I've been pretty good about updates recently. It helps that I've gotten several _totally amazing_ reviews that really motivated me a lot and put me in the writing mood.

I should probably start keeping track of all the references that I make, because I make a lot, though many of them are pretty subtle. There's a vague ref to Avatar: The Last Airbender, and one to How To Train Your Dragon. I also did a hell of a lot of wiki-walking research on metalworking and old guns. I am very aware that they take really long to make and require a lot of testing before they're good to use, but I kind of handwaved that for the sake of plot. If any Shen backstory seems to sound like someone else's headcanon, that's cause I lose track of what's canon and what's this author's or that author's so I hope that's not considered art theft...

Anyway, hope you like it!

Summary: The paths Shen took in the past seem only to lead deeper into darkness. But through the eyes of those who have woven themselves into his life, a new story unfolds-one leading away from old misery and guilt-that may yet bring him redemption. Slight AU. **Chapter 11-Shen is busy with a new invention...perhaps a little too busy.**

**Oh almost forgot. Thank you to all the anonymous reviewers! I'm always sad that you're anon because I like to be able to discuss the reviews and thank you personally. Either way, your feedback is very appreciated and also makes me write the next chapter faster because I want to thank you as quickly as I can and I can only do it in an update. Lol.**

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><p>Chapter 11.<p>

_Shen._

For days, Shen had kept himself awake long into the night, stuck in the war room. He could feel the familiar ache deep inside him that warned him of impending illness, but he chose to ignore the sensation in favor of continuing his project. He had been working since he returned to Gongmen after battle, but his progress had stagnated for a while. Inspiration had struck him again just after the argument with the peahen, and he had worked furiously on a new, updated design for a weapon. Finally, he had finished the plans. All he needed in order to proceed now was…

"My lord," a voice softly called through his bedroom door. "My lord, the materials you requested have arrived."

Shen lifted his head groggily from his pillow, rising slowly out of his nest-shaped bed. He could feel the weight of his sleep deprivation pressing down on his back, but the announcement from the servant jolted his mind into alertness. Shen swept out of bed and hastily changed out of his sleeping robes, tucked his knives into their hidden compartments and swung the door open.

The pig servant who had woken him jumped in surprise at Shen's dramatic appearance. "G-good morning, sir," he stammered.

"Yes, isn't it?" Shen drawled, towering over the servant and scanning the hallway, the soft morning sun panning through the open windows. It had been a while since a morning pleased him so much. "Where are they, then?" he asked off-handedly.

"We've dropped them off in your factory, my lord. The Wolf Boss said you would probably want them there," the servant said.

"Ah, good." He looked at the nervous servant, and waved him away. "You may go now," he said with mild impatience. The pig bowed and hurried down the hall. Shen stretched his wings in pleasure. _Time to get to work_.

The fireworks factory was already alive and running by the time Shen got there, molten metal glowing and sparks flying with each breath of the bellows. The wolves hustled about, and Shen surveyed his cannon collection which had slowly replenished itself since he had put the factory to work again.

The wolf Hao bounded up to him. He was always appropriately apprehensive whenever Shen was present in the factory—which was often. The wolf bowed before reporting stiffly, "Lord Shen, Boss informed me you would be arriving this morning for the materials. We placed them up in the balcony area. Let me know if you would like them moved."

"That should be suitable," Shen said, allowing himself a crooked smile. At that moment, not even the tediousness of his inferiors could put him in a bad mood. Shen made his way up the bamboo steps, basking in the fiery warmth of the assembly line as he moved. Crates of metal and wood were waiting for him at the top, and Shen took a moment to inspect their quality.

_Hmm, this is good metal,_ he thought, tapping an iron slab with his knife. _And walnut wood! Excellent!_

During the battle with the barbarians from the north, Shen had realized some key weaknesses to his weapons. They were slow to reload and fire, and aiming was cumbersome, due to their weight. Since he had returned, he had been brainstorming and calculating the plans for an upgrade. Shen spread out his scrolls across the table, revealing dozens of sketches and measurements littered on the paper.

With the assistance of a gorilla, Shen brought the iron slabs down to the furnace to begin casting them. Melting down the metal would be a tedious task, but Shen always found himself so relieved to be in the warmth of the factory. Fire was so powerful and alive; he loved the way the red light shone on his death-colored feathers, making him feel rejuvenated, integrated with the barely controlled destruction in the flames. That was the beauty of fire—one wrong move, and it would burn its own master. It was all about control, and no one had better command over fire than Shen.

After keeping a careful surveillance on the gorillas pouring the metal into the casting molds, Shen turned in for the night, satisfied at the progress he'd made.

The following day, Lang accompanied him to the factory. It was time to forge. Together, they spent the day pounding the heated iron into the shape of a gun barrel, the wolf wielding the hammer and Shen directing his strikes. They worked in this way for three days with little rest, often splitting the job. The wolf did the heavy labor while Shen worked on casting the delicate parts of the weapon.

"Sir, are you feeling alright? Maybe you should get some rest. You're looking a little pale," Lang said.

"There's no time to rest. The new weapon is almost finished," Shen replied. His body was aching the way it would after a long day of training. It had been a while since he'd done his own forging, but he could not leave such a precise task in the clumsy, incompetent hands of his servants.

"At least go outside and get some real air," the wolf insisted. Shen waved a dismissing wing.

"I've spent my life in the smoke. This _is _real air," he said with a scoff.

Lang shook his head in resignation. "Whatever you say, sir."

If Shen ever cared to admit it to himself, he was exhausted, but the idea of giving in to the weakness of his body was absolutely repulsive to him. He may have been born weak, but his mind had always been sharper than everyone else's. He was the one who always dared to push the limits of knowledge and curiosity, and what was his reward? _Nothing but rejection_, he thought as he filed the components of the gun to the proper fit. _No one, not even my own parents had faith in me. They _expected_ darkness from me. Never mind that I had always done as they wished. Never mind that I had always tried to please them. If you expect me to play the part of monster, then monster is what you will get! Are you pleased now?_

"Here, sir," Lang said, interrupting his internal diatribe. The wolf held up the silver barrel. The length of the entire piece reached half of Shen's height, and it was heavy in his hands, but the measurements were all correct.

"Workable," he said, taking it to his table where the smaller attachments lay. In truth, the wolf had done good work with shaping the barrel. Lang was the only one he could still rely on to produce enough quality to meet his standards. As he lifted the barrel onto the table, he felt something give way, and his vision darkened.

He heard Lang shout his name before he collapsed into unconsciousness. _Damn…_

Shen awoke in his bed, which was feeling quite welcoming to him at the moment. He tried to push himself into a sitting position, but a wave of dizziness forced him back down. Shen coughed, cursing inwardly as he did. _No, I can't succumb to this. I'm not a child anymore._

"See, being stuck in the dark all the time is just no good. It's horrible for complexion too…" Lang said stepping into the room followed by a goat servant.

"Just _shut up_," Shen groaned. He stuffed his face into his pillows while blindly beckoning for the servant to bring over the tray with hot tea and rice that he was carrying.

Shen turned over in his bed to take the tray. The tea was strong and refreshing, and he felt his mind clear almost instantly. He realized he had underestimated just how worn out he had been.

"What was the big rush to make the weapon anyway?" Lang asked.

"I had been waiting for a long while to be able to create something like it. Once I perfect its design, every soldier of mine will be able to wield one. They will all have the lethal firepower of cannons for themselves. Then I will truly be unstoppable," Shen said. "I have no choice but to hurry. In the rebuilding process, I am at my most vulnerable. Wise opportunists will take advantage of it."

"Not _everyone_ is out to get you," Lang muttered.

"That's a naïve thought to entertain. It'll be the end of you," Shen said, draining his teacup. He picked up the rice bowl and began eating. "In any case, most of the strenuous labor is done. We'll resume tomorrow morning. Don't be late."

"But sir, are you sure about that? We've been working for over a week in that blasted sauna. A day off would be helpful," the wolf protested.

"What, dog? Getting out of breath?" Shen asked with a patronizing smile.

"Hey, I'm not the sick one here—"

In a flurry of feathers, Shen leaped out of the bed and toppled the wolf to the ground. "_Sick_?" Shen spat. "Let me get this into your furry, tick-ridden head: I am not _sick_. How do you like this for sick?" he hissed, brandishing a knife and pressing his talon down on the wolf's chest.

Lang stared up at him with wide eyes and the two eyed each other for several long minutes of tension. Shen inhaled deeply, composing himself again. More and more often, his tenuous self-control would snap—or would be on the verge of snapping. Shen could command fire, but it seemed his mind was a different story. _Pathetic_, he thought. _Lack of control is for weaklings and simpletons_. He stepped off of Lang, sheathing his knife wordlessly.

"Truly, I'm much improved," Shen said, coating his voice in false cheer. "I will see you in the factory tomorrow morning, and I don't want to see you a minute _sooner_."

Lang got to his feet, nodding to confirm he had received Shen's implicit command to get out of his sight and stay out.

When the bedroom door shut, Shen was left alone to his thoughts. He removed his knives, one by one, until all thirty of them were laid out on the bedside table. Shen picked one up and dropped into the bed, twirling the silver blade between his fingers.

Illness was insidious. It walked hand in hand with his color, breathing down his neck and pressing in from all sides. _I have been branded from birth. No matter what I do, no one will ever see me differently. No matter who I try to become, everyone always assumes the worst._

Shen never understood why his mother and father had reacted the way they did when he destroyed the panda village. More than once, he had overheard them lament that they could not bear to become too close to him, their own child, since he was so poor of health, so certain to die young. Yet when he sought to avert his own destruction foretold by the prophecy, they rejected him. Shen refused to believe the Soothsayer's words were true: that they died from broken hearts. He trembled with anger at the thought. If his parents _loved _him so much, why did he never feel that love in his entire life? After years of brushing him to the side because of "duties," why did it take his permanent banishment to make them realize they could not live without him?

Shen and Lang worked the next day on fitting the parts of the miniature cannon together. Shen could see the wolf watching him carefully, as though he might drop into a dead faint at any moment. The gesture annoyed Shen, but he vowed to keep his anger in check. Such a primal emotion should not control his actions. Shen welded the metal components onto each other and fixed the finished barrel to the wooden stock. He smoothed out the rough carving-which had been done by a subordinate wolf to save time-and sanded down the splinters. The finished product was a sleek, four-foot long hand cannon. Shen admired the weapon with pride.

"Time to test it," he said, striding down from the scaffold where he and Lang had been working. He tipped a packet of gunpowder down the barrel and packed an iron ball inside it. He exited the factory, many of the workers stopping the production line to follow and watch the demonstration. With a flick of his talons, he struck a flame and ignited the matchlock, aiming out to the sea.

The rifle exploded with force, bright sparks and thick plumes of smoke bursting out of the end of the barrel. Shen had to step back quickly to steady himself from the recoil which tipped the gun upward with incredible force. He dug his claws into the ground for grip. The smoke cleared, and Shen was sure he now had a bruised shoulder from the kickback, but he was pleased. The wolves and gorillas clapped, looking impressed by this new invention.

"It worked!" Shen murmured, eyes widening with glee. He lowered the rifle toward the ground, still staring in awe at the results. All he would need to work on now was aiming properly.

He fanned his tail up, parting the smoke. "Imagine what I could have done for you," he said quietly, thinking of his parents. _But too late now. There's no turning back. All I asked for was acceptance for who I am. I suppose I got what I deserved for choosing to rely on other people to do something for me. Well, for all the things I have done wrong, everyone else, and especially you, Mother and Father, you only have yourselves to blame for what I am. You feared for my life, so I lived for you. You worried that I was fragile, so I became strong for you. You were concerned for my future, so I defied fate for you! If that makes me a monster, it was all because of _you.

"You did this," Shen said under his breath as he stared out at the horizon, watching the sun steadily sink into the ocean. Another day was ending, never to be repeated. _There is no turning back. I must tend to the future._

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><p>Next up is Min<em>.<br>_


	12. Chapter 12

So now you finally get to see what Min's deal is and where she comes from. I'm hoping I didn't move too quickly with the character development. But I felt that Min and Shen's last meeting was a pivot point in their relationship-enough for her to have a change in perspective anyway. Eventually something would have to give, for all the arguing these two have been doing. I thought it was about time to shake things up a bit.

This chapter probably had the most tweaking done to it, and I'm still a bit unsure as to how it turned out. On one hand, I think I like it and on another, I don't. I can't decide. Ahh. You decide.

I meant to address this in the last update, but as usual, forgot.

**the critic** - you made a good point in your review about the character perspectives. However, since I've got into a sort of rhythm at this point, I feel it would be difficult to switch gears again to having multiple characters per chapter. It would be useful and make my life a lot easier in some cases, but I've also been told it was confusing when I did do it in the earlier chapters. Either way, it's always helpful to know what you think, and that goes to all my reviewers. Even if I may not choose to implement your criticism does not mean it wasn't helpful. I always appreciate hearing what you think, because it allows me to see my writing through other people's eyes.

**WiseScholar** - Ah! I'm glad you said that. I agree, Shen has grown up to be quite strong and much healthier than when he was a child. However, he spent a very long time breathing in smoke and God knows what other kinds of crap, not to mention he was working for several days without proper rest. Also, my interpretation is that even though he is pretty strong, he isn't as sturdy as others, so that coupled with poor health habits and stubbornness contributed to his sickness. I did not expect your interpretation, so again, it is good that you mentioned it because now I am aware of your perspective. So thank you for commenting about that! I would not have thought of that point of view otherwise. :)

Summary: The paths Shen took in the past seem only to lead deeper into darkness. But through the eyes of those who have woven themselves into his life, a new story unfolds-one leading away from old misery and guilt-that may yet bring him redemption. Slight AU. **Chapter 12-Min reveals snippets of her past in hopes of coercing Shen to do the same**

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><p>Chapter 12.<p>

_Min._

Min had never felt so bored in her life as she walked through the vacant halls of Shen's mansion. Occasionally, she would pass a servant, but she may as well have been a ghost for all the notice she received. She counted the silken tapestries and examined the embroidered red carpet that ran down the center of the main corridor. Min found herself reminiscing about the mansion she had grown up in. If she recalled correctly, it had certainly been more ornate and lavish than this one, and Min was amused by the irony that for all his talk, Shen's house would be so much plainer than hers had been.

_I'm sorry_, she'd told him. Min knew the words had been unexpected to him. They were unexpected to her too, rising up unbidden and flying from her beak before she could control herself, but they were sincere._ I wonder if you've ever heard the words in your life_. She reached up and touched the healing cut on her cheek. Min could still see the way he had looked down at his hand as though it were some separate entity that had acted of its own accord. _You're on a slippery slope._

Min paused when she realized she was standing in front of the war room. Cautiously, she pushed open the door, only to find it empty. She walked in, examining the walls and noticing the spot where her blood still stained the carpet. _That's never coming out. Looks like I've left my mark on this place whether Shen likes it or not_. For once, she could actually see the surface of the table. Most likely, Shen had taken all his papers away to wherever he disappeared during the day. Min pulled out a chair and leaned back against the table, facing away from the door. Besides the table, the room was empty with blank walls that could have used a banner or two or perhaps some accent furniture.

_You would have hated the look of this room, wouldn't you, Mother?_ Min wondered briefly if her family missed her. _Why in the name of the gods would they miss an eyesore like you?_ No, things were better the way they were, that is, if she ever escaped from her current predicament.

The door to the room swung open, and Min twisted her neck around, though she already knew who she would see.

"Wh-what are _you_ doing in here again?" Shen demanded. His pale feathers were stained black with soot, and Min was surprised to see him wearing something other than his classic silver robes. Instead he was clad in simple dark grey, drawing a greater contrast with his plumage. He carried a strange, narrow, metal tube mounted on carved wood which he placed on the table before glaring at her impatiently.

Min turned back around, finding his gaze uncomfortable for once. Before, she could look directly at him, fueled by defiance and righteous anger. Now, seeing him made her unsettled and strangely guilty.

"Maybe you were right. We are not so different after all," she said, referring to their recent argument.

"Oh? And how exactly is that?" he asked.

"Are nobles ever really so different?"

"You presume too much, peahen," Shen said with restrained anger.

"Your life was never really your own, was it?" she asked, ignoring his annoyance. That made him pause as she hoped. Min forged on with her gambit. "Everyone had their ideas about the sort of people we should be. No one ever seemed to care what we wanted from our lives."

"Where are you going with this?"

Min faced him. "I suggest a trade. Story for story. We both want information from each other."

Shen raised an eyebrow but pulled out his chair. "I'm listening," he said, though Min could hear his suspicion in the way he dragged his syllables.

Min smiled bitterly to herself when she remembered how her nanny would shout at her for scuffing up the floor with her claws or sliding down banisters. Her parents often scolded her for not showing proper etiquette or for being rude to obnoxious relatives and suitors. _After all, that wasn't the behavior of a proper lady, was it?_

"I was always the defiant child, living in my older sister's shadow. She made a wonderful lady, followed all the rules, preened her feathers and fluttered her eyelashes the way a good noble-born peafowl should. We're a vain species, after all, but what is the use of vanity when you look like me?" Min gestured to the flecks of green that mottled her brown feathers. Most peahens had other hues that would shimmer on their necks and fade into a delicate light brown or gain a pinkish tone if they were lucky. "You're right, I _am_ sensitive about my appearance, but who wouldn't be after years of other peafowl taking one look at you and sneering because you don't resemble a goddess? Making mud balls with the servant children and throwing them at the pretty girls turned out to be much more rewarding than trying to please people. That would get their attention better than anything."

"Being invisible has its benefits," Shen cut in, sounding bitter. "Better to be ignored than gawked at like some freak show," he spat.

Min looked at Shen, seeing him for the first time not as an enemy or as part of that general mass of people she despised by default. He was white as death and his red eyes were particularly jarring, even without his piercing stare. It was a different sort of look in a peafowl, but Min had seen so many different creatures with varied appearances, and it would be hypocritical of her to hate someone for how he looked. Most of all, Shen appeared tired, though it could have been because of the work he had been doing all day. Min didn't think that was the only factor.

"Our lives were shaped by the perception of others. How they saw us eventually made us who we are. I was glad to be given the chance to leave Gou City. I never traveled," Min lied. "To be here is almost like an escape. Or it would have been if I weren't your prisoner."

The truth was slightly different. The stories she was telling were over fifteen years old. Shen did not need to know about how she had, in fact, traveled around China for years before finally settling in the Valley of Peace four years ago. He did not need to know about the day she made the choice to leave her home.

_That was my eighteenth birthday_, she recalled. It was her coming-of-age, and everyone in the family was making a grand fuss about the celebration—except Min. For months before the occasion, there had been fights about how Min was not helping enough with the preparations or how she was being ungrateful. Min, for her part, could not have cared less. _No one paid me much mind before then, so I never understood what the fuss was about. It was all just a big, noisy parade, and they were going to force me to be the star._

Min had been spending a day in the downtown square of Gou City when she met the traveling shadow puppet troupe. She had always loved watching the shows for the way they took her to far off places she'd only read about in her history books. Somehow, she had gotten to talking with one of the performers, a viper who regaled her with his experiences traveling across the countryside. He showed her some maps and artwork he had done, and for the first time, Min had a true glimpse of the world beyond Gou. It was at that moment that the rest of China became tangible, not something from a textbook or a fairy tale. The seed of wanderlust settled itself in her heart that night, and every routine in her life seemed even more unbearable than ever and the jabs from her peers more intolerable.

Finally, in the frenzy of birthday preparations, Min made a spur of the moment decision, packed a bag, and slipped away into the night. With a sizeable allowance she had ferreted away and a stubborn pride to protect, she had marched from Gou and never looked back.

Shen clasped his hands together, watching her carefully. _What else can I tell him before he starts talking about himself? If I say too much, I could give Po away._ Min's mind raced.

"You never married, it seems," he stated, saving her from having to come up with another story.

"Why would you say that?"

"You, a wife? You are far too independent and far too willful. Not to mention, only an idiot would send his wife away to do dangerous work such as this."

"I _was_ willful. I wanted nothing to do with the peacocks my parents tried to arrange for me. They were all the same." _Arrogant, disdainful, vain, and just as uninterested in me as I was in them._ Min looked across the table. _Not so different from you. They were never so lethal or shrewd though, never so complicated._ "They tried cutting me off from family funds, but I knew how to live simply, and I had friends among the servants and townsfolk. Eventually, they decided I was more trouble than I was worth. My being here to spy is their attempt to make me useful for something."

"Not that it's working. You're wasted as a spy," Shen said with a smirk. Min allowed herself a short chuckle.

"True, all I've done is feed you information about myself. Which brings me to your part of the bargain," she said.

"I could easily walk away with what I've learned of you and not say a thing about myself. That was clumsy of you," Shen said.

Min glowered. _Don't make this a pointless conversation. I know you barely believed a word of what I said anyway._

"I'm in a good enough mood that I'll humor you for a bit, though," Shen added, laying his hand on the long metal object he had brought with him.

Min perked up. "Alright, here's a question. Why did you murder the pandas?" She prepared to duck under the table in case her question had been too direct, even for the lord's apparent good mood.

Shen's gaze hardened quickly, and Min was tense for a moment. She relaxed when he looked down at the floor, eyes glazed slightly as he reminisced. "Murder is a strong word," he muttered.

"I'm sure we both agree that softening the truth is a waste of time," Min replied. "But we've had our arguments about morality. Now I want to know motive."

"Motive, hmm?" Shen paused for a while, and Min began to wonder if he was going to say anything after all. "There was a prophecy," he said at last, resting his beak on his folded hands. "My parents did not like my exploring in the science of gunpowder. They consulted with a Soothsayer who predicted that I would meet my downfall at the hands of a warrior of black and white. When I overheard, I set out to change my fate. It was a preemptive measure—self-defense."

"That's your justification? You made an assumption, and they paid for it with their lives!" Min blurted, momentarily forgetting that she was trying to understand him better rather than provoke him.

"If you're only here to lecture me, then leave, before you put me in an ill temper," Shen warned.

Min clamped her beak shut, cursing herself for being careless. The last thing she needed was for him to lose his temper. He was so hard to figure out though. The smallest thing could set him off, and she would not be able to tell why.

"Right, sorry," she said, still chiding herself. Shen's eyes widened slightly at the apology, and Min found herself wondering again if he'd ever heard anyone speak those words sincerely and while not under duress. The room fell into an uncomfortable silence as Min groped for something else to say. "I resented my parents and peers for all their expectations and how they always seemed to lie through their teeth about everything. I've always appreciated honesty. From my experience, the nobility are nothing but liars, caught up in their own little world that they think is so superior to everyone else's."

"Perhaps that explains why you're such a terrible liar yourself. In spite of all that, however, I cannot say I entirely disagree with you," Shen replied. He looked up at her sharply. "Don't think you're so special because you dislike that little world you and I know so well. Do you really think you're the only one who hates that way of life? That's rather arrogant of you."

_I know nothing at all_, Min thought. _He was right on that count too._ The more she listened to him and the more she looked at him, the more Shen seemed to be a blank slate. _You think you know people, but it's all just guesswork, _the wolf had said. _How much more is behind the motive you gave? That can't be all of it. I can't believe that, not when I see you now._ Suddenly, Min felt very tired, and she could no longer think of anything else to say. For all the talking they'd done, she felt as though she only had more questions, none of which she would dare to ask.

"It seems your parents were fairly involved in your life," Shen commented out of the blue.

"I wouldn't say that. They only seemed to be around if it were to nag me about something I was doing that might bring embarrassment to the family name. My sister saw more of them."

"No brothers?" Shen asked.

"No, just the two of us," Min replied.

"Interesting. And it never bothered you that you hardly saw your parents?"

"They were never very pleasant to be around, in all honesty," Min said with a shrug. "I wasn't exactly the favorite child."

"I see…" Shen said. "Well, Xiang Min, this was a pleasant discussion we've had."

Min felt her beak open slightly in shock. "What did you just call me?"

"Oh, did I get it right after all?" Shen asked with a crooked grin. "The Xiang Family. Members of the executive council in Gou City, and the only family with enough influence to find suitors who would be willing to take your sister's name and continue the family line and enough wealth to support their other wayward daughter, so long as she did not do anything to bring disgrace upon them. This is your family, is it not? The one that you strangely choose to speak about in past tense?"

Min gaped at Shen. _How? How did he figure it out? And what else does he know about me?_

He chuckled, and Min shivered with real fear. Could he know that she wasn't affiliated with her family anymore? That could mean death for her _and_ the kung fu masters if she said the wrong thing, and it would be her fault. Damn her curiosity. She should have stayed well away from him since the day she arrived. She had been careless, or perhaps he had been far too sharp for her.

"You think that force is the only means I have of getting what I want," Shen said with terrifying mirth.

"You're right. You were right. I don't know a thing," Min said desperately. "I don't know anything about you at all. I was wrong. I admit it."

"I told you, you are a terrible liar, despite what you might like to think. Now that begs the question, are you really working for your family?"

Min only stared at him. What could she tell him? Everything she had tried against him had failed. All she could do now was make sure Po's friends were not implicated in her failure.

"Obviously not," Shen said for her. "Then who?"

"No one. Everyone. I give up. No matter what I try to say, you'll figure out the truth. You've figured out most of it. I have no idea how," Min said, throwing her wings up in resignation. _The only hope I have is to throw his guard again so that his confidence is shaken. Right now, he's absolutely lethal._ Somehow, the right words fell to her, like rain upon a desert.

"I'm a terrible liar, so here is a truth, and I hope for all your skill at unearthing lies, you have the same talent for seeing truth. The reason I came to this room today is because I wanted to understand you better. You said I know nothing, so I wanted to learn. You said I judged you, so I came to be corrected. You hate me for my hypocrisy, so I came to apologize. When I said it the last time, I meant it: I was wrong, and I am sorry."

Shen's smile vanished like smoke, replaced by a look of sheer incredulity. "I see what you are trying to do," he said at last, though he nearly choked the words out. "You're trying to distract me again."

"Please, tell me that I was lying. I swear to you I wasn't," Min protested.

His crest lowered slightly as he observed her. "No," he admitted hesitantly. "I don't think you are lying. But…why?"

_Because you're on a slippery slope, and no one will help you up._

"Because I was seeing you the way I wanted to, not the way you were. Because I thought I was better than you because of what you've done in the past, but now I see that I'm not."

Shen glared at her. "What, are you trying to take the high road now? Do you expect me to turn around and apologize to you and all the dead pandas too?"

"No, I just want to understand," Min said. Half-consciously, she reached up and touched the scab on her cheek. Shen noticed. She saw his gaze turn down to the side again, and she realized he was looking at the bloodstain on the carpet, and that was when Min knew she would come out of the day alive.

"What is the use of understanding? The world has no place for empathy," Shen said with something akin to sadness.

"That isn't true. You just haven't looked in the right places," Min said, thinking of the wolf. "Give it a chance."

"The time for chances has waned," Shen said. "The past cannot be changed. I have made my choices, and I mean to see them through." He picked up his invention from the table, and for the first time since they had met, Shen was the first to leave the room.

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><p>Lang is up next.<p> 


	13. Chapter 13

So after a long and stressful final stretch of Winter Quarter, I finally managed to finish this chapter. It was a lot of two steps forward, one back in terms of progress which helps explain why it took so long. It ended up being largely a flashback chapter which also explains why it's my longest chapter so far.

Hope you enjoy it! After this, things start to get exciting. We're on the final stretch of the story guys! Also going to start putting the summary at the beginning of each chapter, so I hope I don't flood your inboxes with alerts.

Summary: The paths Shen took in the past seem only to lead deeper into darkness. But through the eyes of those who have woven themselves into his life, a new story unfolds-one leading away from old misery and guilt-that may yet bring him redemption. Slight AU. **Chapter 13-Min convinces Lang to shed light on his and Shen's past to help her understand them better.**

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><p>Chapter 13.<p>

_Lang._

"Shen collapsed? When?" The peahen leaned forward slightly, her eyes widening in astonishment. She had all but accosted Lang in the hallway that morning with a steely determination in her bright eyes and demanded a discussion. Lang had been hesitant at first, but upon discovering that his lord was sleeping in, he relented and ended up sitting in her room, listening to her speak. The lady told him about her discussion with Shen the night before, about the stories she shared and about Shen's unusually subdued behavior.

"Uh, it was only a couple days ago that it happened," Lang replied. "We were working on some new invention of his, and he was too stubborn to think about how it would affect his health to work for days on end. Honestly, it's a wonder I never passed out myself. I was the one lifting all the heavy stuff," he muttered.

"So that's where you all vanished to," the peahen mused. "That must have been that strange object he had with him the other day."

"He showed it to you?" Lang asked, ears perking up. _Shen must really have been out of it._ "He's usually so secretive about his experiments, and I know he doesn't trust you."

The lady shrugged. "Yes, I saw it. What's the use of it though?"

"It's a…oh" Lang said, but shut his mouth quickly. "I don't think he'd be too happy if I told you."

"You're faithful to a tee, wolf," the lady said, frowning at him. She seemed to be studying him intently, trying to read his thoughts from his face.

"And you're as cynical as ever, lady," Lang replied. "Do you even know what it means to be a friend?"

"Do _you_?" the peahen shot back. "And don't call me 'lady.' I have a name, you know."

Lang was taken aback by her retort. _Do I? Do I really know what it means to be Shen's friend?_ He smiled toothily at her, though. "I've got a name too, but I don't remember hearing you ever asking about it. Besides, I thought 'lady' was respectful."

The peahen rolled her eyes ever slightly but folded her wings and said, "Alright. What is your name?"

"Lang," he said. "And you?"

"Min. I hate to be called 'lady.' It annoys me, makes me feel all stuffy," Min said, sniffing.

"You are stuffy," Lang said. It was the truth from his perspective, but Min looked so offended, Lang averted his eyes and licked his fangs nervously. "Well, okay, not _that_ stuffy. I mean, not at all, really." _Geez._

Min shook her head and looked away, glaring into space. "No, you're probably right. I'm not what I thought I was. I haven't become anything better than the people I despise."

"What do you mean?"

"I thought about what you said and what Shen said too. I believed him to be downright evil, no questions asked. But my mistake was assuming that was the entire story, and now I realize it's not. After being around him all the time, it's so obvious I don't know a thing about him."

Lang found himself gaping a little. He'd never heard anyone make such a concession. Usually people were insistent in their beliefs, and no matter what he tried to say in Shen's defense, none of them would listen. _It was like they felt themselves to be good, upstanding people just because they were better than him, they didn't make the same mistakes. Isn't that always the thing, though? People need to feel like they're better than someone else._

Min looked Lang straight in the eye, and Lang found himself feeling aggravated by the directness of her gaze. Eye contact meant confrontation among wolves, and he found himself growing tense in anticipation of a fight.

"You said you've known Shen all your life. Tell me about him," Min said, blunt as ever.

Lang snorted. "What makes you think I would just out his life story to you? I only learned your name today."

"But you do care about him, don't you?"

"Well, yes…" Lang didn't like where the peahen was taking the conversation.

"You said you're all on a slippery slope, but no one will help you. How will they be able to help you if they don't know the full story? The way things are now, Shen is going to carry out his mission to take over China or kill himself trying, and he doesn't care who goes down with him. If you want to help him, you need to better his name. You need people to understand why they should help him. Because right now, everyone else feels the same way I did. They don't know him the way you do. They're going to look at the evidence of his actions, and those paint him as irredeemably evil. So now that I'm here and willing to listen, you have no good reason not to talk to me. If you care so much, you need to convince me why I should help him instead of hate him."

Try as he might, Lang could not think of a counterargument, so instead, he glanced back toward the door, ears twitching at every sound to make sure Shen wasn't about to come bursting into the room at that very moment. He gathered his thoughts, trying to decide where would be best to begin. Finally, taking a deep breath, he began his story.

"I met Shen when he was very young. Well, I wasn't much older. Our friendship came as a surprise to him. All the other children had rejected him for his color and illness. They thought he was bizarre, but the thought never crossed my mind. At the most, Shen was different. He was smarter than the other kids, and more stubbornly determined when told he couldn't do something. He wasn't about to let anyone tell him that he was too small or too weak or anything like that.

"There was nothing he wouldn't do to make his parents proud. I don't know the details, and I don't know what else happened behind closed doors, but from what he told me, I don't think they ever successfully convinced him that they loved him. Still, Shen was a good prince, a good person, and a good friend," Lang said emphatically. "He's the reason I'm not some nobody palace guard who gets pushed around. Wolves weren't really considered the stuff of honor guards, you know, but Shen refused to accept anyone else as his protectors, and I swore to uphold the responsibility. He did me and my pack a huge service by raising our status.

"Anyway, Shen started showing a particular passion for experiments with gunpowder. I think that was when our problems began…"

_"Are you sure this is alright? Seems pretty dangerous to me. Remember what happened last time?" Lang told the young prince. "Besides, didn't your parents say—"_

_ "Sod that. They work with gunpowder all the time. My family was born in fire. This is a part of my heritage, my destiny," Shen said fiercely, his talons clacking on every step as they made their way down to the crypts beneath the Tower where Shen kept his laboratory. "And they've never come to actually see the progress I've made. All they'd have to do is look, and they would see that I was meant for this. They never come, though," the prince muttered._

_ Lang hurried after Shen, trying not to step on his train by accident. Shen's tail feathers were growing out quickly and by now were nearly as long as his father's. It was taking Lang a while to get used to them, so there had been many stomped feathers and accidental whiplashes whenever he followed the prince around._

_ Finally, they reached the laboratory which was simply an octagonal stone room with a large table set up in the center. Lang touched his torch to the dead ones posted on the wall, letting them flood the room with golden light._

_ "No, not all of them," Shen said, holding a wing out. "You'll want to be able to see this."_

_ Lang watched as Shen set to work, preparing a mixture in a clay mortar. He took a thin cored stick and touched it to the flame of Lang's torch._

_ "Stand back," Shen said, slowly reaching out to the powder with the glowing hot stick. He dropped it into the mortar and leaped backward, just as radiant purple and gold sparks crackled up and out of the bowl showering embers across the table, popping with energy. Shen whipped his head toward Lang, eyes wide and his tail slightly flared in excitement._

_ "Did you see? Did you notice the difference?" he all but shouted._

_ "Wow…" Lang said, his ears flattening and his jaw slackening. He walked over to the table and peered into the mortar which was charred black from the explosive reaction. "H-how much powder did you use?"_

_ The prince smiled triumphantly, as though he had been hoping Lang would ask that question. "Not very much."_

_ "But the sparks were huge!" Lang said. There were still small dying embers scattered across the floor of the large room._

_ "I refined the formula. It's much more efficient…not to mention much more explosive," Shen said. "We could launch even bigger fireworks shows. We could do all sorts of things with power like that. My parents must see this. Then they'll believe me. They'll know I'm just as capable as anyone else."_

"He thought they would be proud of his accomplishment," Lang said.

"But?" Min prompted, obviously sensing the lingering hesitation on Lang's part.

"Let's just say the folks didn't exactly jump on board with all of his plans."

_*****__thunk__*****_

_"They won't do it!" Shen let loose another throwing knife._

_ *****thunk*****_

_ The blade hummed with the force of its collision with the wooden target. Lang sat in silence, resting as he watched his friend take out his frustration on the practice dummies._

_ "It's as if—" *thunk* "they only think" *thunk* "it can only be used in" *thwack!* "fireworks!" the prince raged as his last knife missed its mark and ricocheted off the dummy and clattered to the floor._

_ The eighteen-year-old Shen had recently proposed exploiting the destructive side of the gunpowder. It was "more resourceful" and "using the versatile substance for only one thing was wasteful and short-sighted." Needless to say, not only had his plans been met with harsh rejection, but his parents had barred him from his lab temporarily. Lang propped his snout up with his hands resting on his knees and watched his friend throw a classic hissy-fit, as though he were seven again. Shen had taken to training rigorously whenever he was feeling overlooked, which was often. As a result, the previously scrawny young peacock had grown into a surprisingly robust fighter._

Less gangly, more princely,_ Lang thought._

_ "It's absurd," the prince said, nodding to himself. They had been friends for so long that Lang already knew Shen had lost all sense of presence and had forgotten Lang was still sitting there. "I'm of age now. Soon I'll have to take responsibility for the entire province and yet they still don't take me seriously. How is that they expect me to handle such a burden when they will not even treat me like an adult? No, I'll need to handle this. I'll need to make them understand. I am not a child anymore who can be forbidden from this or that." Shen moved to pick up his knives and placed them back on the weapons rack. Without another word, he whirled around, his train sweeping a cloud of dust off the floor as he made his exit from the training hall, all the while muttering to himself._

_ Lang sighed, picking up his hammer. It looked like he would have the training hall to himself for a while._

"That was the night everything went to hell," Lang said, looking up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes, letting the blocked memories resurface slowly.

_"Prince Shen. What's going on?"_

_ Shen said nothing, striding forward so that he was almost running._

_ "Shen! Tell me what's wrong!" Lang said. He was seriously considering stepping on the peacock's tail just to slow him up. Fortunately, Shen stopped this time._

_ "It's all wrong, Lang," his prince said without turning, and Lang heard the catch in his voice._

_ Lang was able to catch up and laid a steadying paw on Shen's shoulder. "Take a breather now. What's happened?"_

_ "My life is in danger," the young lord said, breathing heavily as he spoke._

_ "What? How? How do you know?"_

_ "I overheard the Soothsayer and my parents talking. She predicted that if I continued on my current path, I would be defeated by a warrior of black and white," Shen said._

_ "Whoa, hold up there. It's just a prophecy. You never know how those things go. Most of it's just a bunch of hokey nonsense," Lang said, trying to snap Shen back to reality. He could see that glazed, unblinking stare. Whatever Shen had in his mind, he was absolutely set on it._

_ "My parents believed it! And what are they doing? Nothing! What? Is it—is it some sort of test, what? Or has the truth finally come out? Do they not care? After all the years and all the lies and empty words, is this the final evidence?" Shen screamed._

_ "You're not thinking this through. Look at you, you're mad as hell. You need to settle down. Let's go train. Clear your mind," said Lang, holding his paws out._

_ "No. No! It's time I take matters into my own hands. They purposely sought out the Soothsayer. Why would they do that, unless they could trust her word?. And you know she's always right! She gets everything right! It's Nana!" Shen snapped._

_ "What do you mean 'take matters into your own hands?' Are you going to talk to them? What's going on in your head Shen? I can't help you if you don't talk to me."_

_ Shen whipped his neck around so that his face was nearly up against Lang's. "Alright, I'll tell you," he said with a calm that was terrifying in its contrast to his previous raging. "I'm going to prove to my parents, once and for all, that I can take control of my own destiny. This prophecy will never happen, because I will undo it. I will make it so that there are no warriors of black and white. There never will be a warrior of black and white! I will eliminate them all! Then my parents will see. Finally, they'll know that I'm not weak. I'm not on my deathbed. I do not need to be coddled. My fate is in my hands alone. I'll show them that I have the strength necessary to take the responsibilities of the throne. I'll make them proud with this—proud that their son is a survivor who does not give in to _destiny_," Shen said, his voice lowering to a hiss._

_ "When you say eliminate them…" Lang said slowly._

_ "Destroy them! Grind them into dust so they can never hurt me!" Shen said._

_ "Who?"_

_ Shen stared at Lang as though he were an idiot, though that seemed to happen rather regularly as the prince grew older and more sharp-witted. "The people of black and white! Who else do you think? The pandas, that's who."_

_ "Wait, hold that thought. You're going to kill the pandas? All of them? Because of a prophecy?" Lang asked. This was insane. This wasn't Shen. This wasn't the same prince who would hide and cry whenever his nana gave him a spanking, the prince who gave his plum pastries to a poor, homeless family when they were wandering the streets. _

_ "I will not let this fate come to pass. I cannot let anyone hinder me any longer. My parents are so afraid of losing me. I will put that fear to rest once and for all. Are you with me, Lang?" Shen asked, and Lang felt his tail lower with the choice between his loyalty to his prince, his _friend_ and the lives of dozens of pandas who had not yet done anything wrong._

_ "Well, Lang?" Shen said with greater urgency this time._

_ Lang could see the disbelief and betrayal starting to register in Shen's features, and the feeling tore at him. "I'm in," Lang managed to choke out. "I'm here to serve you, my prince," he said with more strength._

_ The relief that washed over Shen's features was palpable, and Lang felt his shoulders loosen. He had made his choice. It was time to see it through._

"So we went to the village that night. We hunted them down, down to every last one. I let my bloodlust consume me. If I stopped to think about it, think about them as more than just pieces of meat, it would have ruined me," Lang said.

"Shen really believed that? He was convinced that he needed to kill them to prove to his parents that he was worthy?" Min murmured.

Lang only nodded. "It gets worse."

_Lang was covered in blood from head to toe, half-blind with the pain in his left eye which had been torn apart by a rake. He staggered after Shen who was marching with feral triumph to the top of the Tower of Sacred Flame._

_ Shen burst through the threshold of the throne room, and his parents rushed forward to meet him._

_ "Father, Mother, I've done it. I've changed my destiny!"_

_ Lang took one look at the Lord of Gongmen and felt like he had been punched in the gut. The peacock lord stared at his son in shock and horror with the Lady clutching at his wing, quivering._

_ "Shen…Shen is it true? What you've done? Oh, my son, what have you done?" the Lady said with a breaking voice._

_ "Mother? Why…why do you look at me like that? Don't you see? I changed my fate. You do not need to be afraid for me anymore. I am strong. I can take care of myself. You do not have to be afraid of losing me," Shen said weakly._

_ "You massacred an innocent village, Shen!" the Lord said. "To prove…what? How could you have done something so…oh gods." The Lord buried his face in his wings, and Lang closed his one good eye. This night was likely to be the longest of their entire lives._

_ "You—this isn't right. I did this for you! It was all for you," Shen said. "You were the ones who always were so afraid that I was going to die at any second. That's why you never nurtured me when I was young, I heard you say so! You hated my experiments because they were dangerous, you even consulted the Soothsayer because of your fear—no, paranoia! And then she predicted my downfall, and I set out to prevent that. How is it that you look at me the way you do now?"_

_ "That does not justify the atrocities you have just committed. You cannot murder people because of a prophecy! They have done nothing wrong, and even if they did, that is still no reason for killing them!" the Lord shouted. More quietly, he said, "What made you think that this would make us proud?"_

_ Shen wilted visibly. "Father, I…I just wanted you to believe in me. You and Mother! You never believed in me—"_

_ "Son, we have told you, that is not true," his mother said._

_ "WORDS ARE NOTHING!" Shen screamed, making everyone jump. "You said this, you said that, but your actions always said otherwise."_

_ "We did our best for you. We are responsible for the entire province and that was never a responsibility we could take lightly," the lord said._

_ "No, you lie." Shen shook his head. "You couldn't even trust me to make the right decisions. _That's_ why you went to see Nana. Because you had no faith in me. It is things like that, for my entire life, that made me believe you never cared for me. I was just the heir, but never your son!" Shen swept around, storming from the room, and Lang limped after him, struggling to keep up._

"I think you know the rest," Lang finished, his body suddenly feeling incredibly heavy.

"So all of it was for nothing?" Min asked softly. Her eyes were distant, and her glazed expression reminded Lang of Shen when he was lost in his thoughts. She reached up to rub the bridge of her beak with her feathered fingers, and every motion seemed heavy like a fly moving through sap.

"Shen started to unravel in exile. It's a strange thing, exile. For a wolf, it's not so bad. We're an instinctively nomadic species. Peafowl not so much. There's always a nest to come back to at the end of the day. Being displaced from home for so long kinda did things to his head," said Lang.

Min was silent for a long time, and Lang began to wonder if that was his cue to get out. But finally, she spoke again. "He needs a place to belong," she said with quiet sadness. "We're not so different after all."

"Ever since you came, I've been doing a lot of thinking. I don't like where things are going right now. It's like that saying—'the calm before the storm.' There's a storm coming, Miss Min, and it's centered around Shen. Either way, I mean to be there with him, for better or for worse."

"Why not try to avoid it altogether?" Min said.

"And how? I honestly don't know what else I can do except be by his side until I die," Lang said.

"How will that benefit him though? It'll just end up you both die together, most likely. Have you ever considered that maybe what it takes to be a loyal friend is not following blindly but being the bad guy?" Min asked.

"You think I should purposely betray Shen?" Lang asked incredulously.

"Not betray him. Have you ever considered that what is best for him may not necessarily be what he wants? And are you willing to make that sacrifice for his sake?"

It was Lang's turn to be stunned into silence. Perhaps that was the problem all along. Maybe if he had said, "No," that fateful night many years ago, Shen would not have had to steal his city back, and maybe there would still be a thriving panda village in the forest. Instead he had been the faithful dog and obeyed his master, against all better judgment.

The thought stayed with him for the rest of the day, after he heard Shen finally awaken, and he had to excuse himself from the conversation with Min. Shen was distracted and unfocused, barely noticing that Lang was acting just as distracted.

_I made a promise to protect Shen. But if the biggest threat to his life is himself…maybe Min is right. Maybe the only way to save him is to be his enemy._

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><p>Shen is up next.<em><br>_


	14. Chapter 14

Hey all! You would think that I would have gotten this done over spring break, but nope. I honestly had no idea how to get things rolling. (More A/N at the bottom)

Summary: The paths Shen took in the past seem only to lead deeper into darkness. But through the eyes of those who have woven themselves into his life, a new story unfolds-one leading away from old misery and guilt-that may yet bring him redemption. Slight AU. **Chapter 14-Shen finds out about a certain someone heading toward Gongmen City. He is less than pleased about it.  
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><p>Chapter 14.<p>

_Shen._

The peahen did not simply know how to hit nerves, Shen decided. She preferred to toss them on the ground and trample all over them. She was hiding something important, he knew. By all rights, he should not even continue to let her roam freely around the mansion. But Shen simply could not be bothered to do anything about her. Every time he spoke to her, Shen only came out feeling angry and even more so, utterly exhausted.

He flopped onto his back in his nest-bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was the fourth day that he was still in bed by the time noon came about.

_Murder is a strong word_.

His father had called it "murder" too, the night Shen had returned from the panda village.

_He cared more about the pandas than for me._

The peahen acted as though it were possible for him to go back, start over. That was probably what made him feel so heavy and tired. Hope and despair were playing a game of tug-of-war in his heart. He would go back if he could—the peahen had no idea how much he would have liked to go back and start over. But then there was reality to consider, and the more he wished he could somehow fix things, the more painful it was to remember that repair was not possible. Chances had come and gone. Important words had been left unsaid. His life path no longer had any forks in it.

Even if Shen trusted the peahen enough to try and explain himself, there were too many thoughts and too few words. The story was too long and complicated, so he kept it hidden. No one would understand. No use in trying.

He sat up in a flurry of silk and feathers, groaning as he rubbed his tired eyes. There was too much idle time. Nowadays, his council took care of most of the mundane government matters, bringing him weekly reports instead of daily ones. _Too much time to think._

Quickly, he changed out of his night-clothes and readied himself for the day. He had to keep moving or complacency would start to sink in, and simple complacency could ruin even the best of plans. Shen paused, admiring the workmanship of his new weapon which he kept on a table near his bedroom door. He wrapped it in a cloth, propped it up on his shoulder and made his way out of the mansion.

Shen had set up a firing range not long after his return to Gongmen City. There, he and his army would be able to experiment with different firing techniques. Some wolves were in the yard, testing out the newly produced cannons. Smoke filled the air and covered the ground in shadows, blotting out the noonday sun.

"Get a target ready," he ordered one of the wolves as he unwrapped his rifle and began preparing a shot.

"Ready!" the wolf called, and everyone around the target area scampered away to safety.

Shen flicked the fuse and lifted the rifle up in line with the target. He remembered the kick back from last time and slid his foot back to steady himself. He lit the fuse and tightened his grip, and the bullet exploded from the barrel, scuffing the top of the target. The force was so powerful that even in his stronger stance, his leg nearly buckled, and his ears rang from the sound.

"Hmm, not very good," he muttered. The shot wasn't even close to where he wanted it to go. It didn't help that the weapon had to rest on his shoulder for stability since it would be easier to aim if he could somehow align the direction of the barrel with his line of sight. Shen loaded another shot, and this time craned his neck so that he could see down the barrel. It was a bit of a strain, but when he fired, the shot was far more accurate.

With a sigh, he lowered the tip of the barrel to the ground, holding the rifle in the crook of his arm. Normally, he would relish the idea of refining his weaponry, but today, his mind refused to settle.

There was something off about his last conversation with the peahen—some little idea nagging in his head, but he couldn't place the exact thought. Curse her and her ability to throw him so off track. Not to mention, she was unnervingly earnest about everything. What sort of person could look you directly in the eye and make you want to believe everything they said?

He scoffed quietly as he stuffed the barrel with gunpowder again. Such a level of honesty was impossible in reality. No matter how trustworthy a person appeared to be, everyone was a liar in the end. Everyone would betray someone. No one could ever be truly good.

Shen fired another shot. That one was even closer to its mark. _This is what progress looks like,_ he thought, examining his weapon. _Everyone else is too blind to realize it._ Shen found himself wondering if there were any paths he could have taken in the past that would have led him to a drastically different future. _I followed my heart. This is what I get for not bowing to the rules of the game. This is what I get for choosing not to be a pawn of fate._

When he thought back on his life, he could not imagine doing anything differently. When he had first proposed using gunpowder for the cannons, his parents and advisors had all reacted with varied levels of apprehension and concern. _They were only able to see my ideas being used for evil, not the power and prosperity they would bring to all of China._ The thought made him clench the rifle a little harder. _But isn't that all they ever saw in me? No matter what I did, they twisted it around in their heads and made me the wicked one. Murder, they called it…I did what I had to do!_

"Lord Shen!"

Shen turned around to the source of the voice. The Wolf Boss looked like he had sprinted all the way to the firing range.

"I'm a bit busy right now," Shen said, readying yet another shot.

The wolf paused to catch his breath. "Trust me, you're going to want to hear this," he insisted.

Shen ignored him, raising the gun to aim again. _How important could this possibly be?_ he thought as he fired another shot. He realized the Wolf Boss had been trying to speak, but his voice had been blocked out by the explosion. Shen stared at the wolf expectantly. It was his fault for speaking out of turn.

"Did you hear me? I got news from the Valley of Peace that they've seen the panda!" Lang shouted.

Shen nearly dropped the rifle, and he whipped his head around, fanning the smoke away with his tail as he lunged toward Lang. "You _what?_"

"Yeah, I thought you'd be interested," the wolf muttered.

"Don't give me your sass! When did this happen? Are you sure it is the panda?" Shen snapped.

"Oh yeah, it's definitely him. A whole platoon of the wolves I have stationed there just got their hindquarters whipped by a—oh how did it go—'a big, chubby panda who was a master at kung fu and made his own sound effects.' Unless there are other kung fu pandas hiding away in China, I'm pretty sure this is your guy," Lang said.

Shen turned around, not caring that the Wolf Boss had to leap away to avoid his sweeping train. "But that's…that's impossible. I _killed_ him." He felt his heart speeding up, something akin to panic rising in his chest.

"Obviously he survived," Lang said in an even tone. "Do you want to hear the detailed report?"

_Calm yourself. Yes, details. There has obviously been a mistake._ He steadied himself before replying just as calmly, "Yes, I would. Let's speak in the factory."

The Wolf Boss brought Shen to a nervous, haggard young wolf who was panting heavily, his fur disheveled. "Alright, Xun, tell Lord Shen what happened."

"I was on guard duty, m'lord, patrolling the streets in the Valley," Xun said through heavy breaths. "Someone howled an alarm in the central road and we all rushed to see what it was. And there was a panda, sir! He was already beating up all the other wolves who tried to stop him. There was someone else with him too helping him fight—a red panda."

"You're absolutely sure of this?" Shen asked in a low voice.

"Yes, m'lord! Positive. No mistaking it," Xun said. "Big and black and white. He bowled right through us. The red panda guy was really, really good at fighting too. They jumped on a boat and sailed away."

"And you all did nothing? You let him get away?" Shen was seething.

Xun trembled, and Lang interrupted, "Sir, they had been planning the escape for a while, I think. According to what Xun told me, every boat stationed in the harbor set sail all at the same time. It took a while for my wolves to regroup and give chase. Who knows what the panda is up to, but Xun ran for days over land to try and get the message to Gongmen."

Shen was silent, glaring hard at the table. "The panda is alive…" So long as the warrior of black and white still existed, Shen was still threatened. He had already tried multiple times to rid himself of this menace, and yet it somehow kept coming back to him, again and again. The thought made him tremble, and he hated himself for it. _I have come so far. There is no way I will lose to a single, stinking panda._

Then another thought struck him. It was obvious that the panda's escape from the Valley of Peace had been carefully premeditated. Not to mention, the Grand Master Shifu was with him, from the sound of the young wolf's account. The fact that they were making a move could mean only one thing: they intended to free the kung fu masters he had taken as hostages for the duration of his campaign.

How long must they have been plotting? How many precautions had they taken?

_I'm here to spy on you._

The peahen's voice sounded in his mind, sudden and clear. Shen perked up. Xiang Min, no longer affiliated with her family for gods knew how long, a peahen who appeared out of nowhere, right during the time of political instability. Xiang Min who worked for "no one," who always had something to hide. The pieces began clicking into place at last. _It can't be…_

Shen stood up suddenly, knocking over the chair as he raced out the door. "Get me a carriage!" he commanded, and the gorillas and wolves tripped over themselves to get a transport ready for him. A couple wolves hitched themselves up to a cart, and Shen leaped in. "Take me back to the mansion. MOVE!" They sprinted forward, hurrying up the streets.

The peahen was reading a book in her room when he found her. She looked up in surprise when he burst into her room.

"You might have knocked," she said with her usual audacity.

"As I recall, we weren't finished with our conversation of a few days ago," Shen said.

Her expression tightened slightly—she was on the defensive now. "In fact, I don't remember you answering my question either. You are here to spy, you said. But for whom? You revealed that it isn't your family, unless you are far more skilled at lying than I thought. Somehow I doubt that."

"You know I would never tell you. You may as well kill me for all the good it'll do," she said, though she watched him warily.

"Oh quite right," he said, nodding. "But I thought you might like to know, I just heard the most interesting rumor from the Valley of Peace."

"The where?" the peahen asked. Her face was a blank slate, but at this point, Shen already knew that meant she had something to hide.

"You've never heard of it? It only happens to be the place where kung fu was founded and the home of the greatest masters who ever studied the arts," Shen said, leaning against the doorframe nonchalantly.

"Is that so?" she said, picking her book up again.

"You're not interested?"

"I don't deal in gossip."

"Have it your way, then. I simply thought you'd perhaps like to know that I've gotten news of a panda who is on his way to Gongmen City from the Valley," he said.

She looked up sharply, eyes wide in shock. "A panda?" she murmured.

A wicked smile broke on Shen's face. "Yes, the ones you were so interested in for some strange reason. Aren't you glad to know I haven't murdered them all? It's too bad that this particular panda is my greatest obstacle, and I'll have to have him removed. Not to mention, I've also heard the Grand Master is on his way as well. I really did not want it to have to come to this, but I think I might have to execute the Kung Fu Masters after all."

The peahen's face grew increasingly ashen as he spoke, her guard dropping, and the smile immediately fell from his face with that confirmation. In a swift movement, he grabbed her by the throat and pinned her against the headboard.

"So. _You. Knew,_" he snarled, feeling his anger boiling inside him.

"Shen, don't do this," she said, straining to breathe with his hand pressed against her neck. "You don't have to do this."

"_Be silent,_" Shen snapped. "Don't think I plan to kill you just yet. Oh no. You get to be a personal guest at their execution. And do you know what? I think, just before I kill them, I'll tell them you betrayed them and the entire Valley of Peace with your botched rescue plan. I'll tell them they're dying because of _you_. And after that, once they hate you for your betrayal, you can _watch. Them. Die._ Do you know why you get this special treatment? DO YOU?" he screamed at her, slamming her head on the backboard.

"_Stopstopstopstop,_ please. You don't have to do this, you don't have to do this," she gasped.

"Because you lied. And you lied in the worst way possible. Trying to be the noble one, hmm? Trying to act like you _cared?_ Out of all the liars I've ever met, you are the worst, because you almost made me believe you."

"That wasn't a lie. I _do_ care. I swear it! Please stop this!"

Shen pulled her forward and shoved her to the floor. "I don't want to hear you speak, you self-righteous, hypocritical insect. Dogs! Take her away!" he shouted and wolves appeared immediately at the door and dragged the peahen to her feet.

"It's not too late for you, Shen. Please! You don't have to stay on this path. Let me help you! You don't have to go through with this! You have a choice. You've always had a choice!" Her voice grew fainter as the wolves pulled her away.

Shen quivered with his mounting rage. He had been right again. Everyone was just a liar in the end. Even earnest Min was nothing but a filthy little liar. _You're all the more a fool for almost believing in her—all the more a fool for daring to have faith in second chances._

"There is only one path for me now," he muttered to himself. Then he strode into the hallway.

"Guards, get yourselves ready. Find Lang! Tonight, I am making a statement! Tonight, the world will find out what the future looks like! I will exterminate the old ways in a blaze of fire, and a new way of life will rise from the ashes. Tonight, I will show everyone the way kung fu dies! The Year of the Peacock has begun! HAPPY! NEW! YEAR!"

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><p>Yeah, Shen was always meant to flip his shit when he realizes Min was in cahoots with the Dragon Warrior the whole time. But I didn't really expect him to go quite this batshit. Still, he's a stressed out guy with trust issues. Can't really blame him too much.<p>

So! The reason I am posting stuff at the bottom this time is because we have started the climax! Because I'm slow and because I really don't want to have a huge time separation between the two halves of the climax, I'm going to write both of them and post them at the same time. As a result, it'll take a bit longer for the next update. Still, I hope it's exciting! I'm excited.

If you have any vested interest in the story whatsoever, please leave a review because I write a lot faster when people give me reviews! More reviews = more motivation = more writing!


	15. Chapter 15

Wow okay, that was not fast at all, I'm a horrible person I'm sorry. You guys were so great too, and left nice reviews to motivate me and I still took like 3 goddamn months. My main excuses/reasons boil down to "school tired me out" and "writer's block" but I won't go any further on that. Anyhow, as promised, here's the double header climax! Po's segment is a lot longer than Shen's, but I really couldn't make Shen's longer without forcing it, and I'm satisfied enough by it to post.

Hope you like! Thanks for your patience!

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><p>Chapter 15.<p>

_Po._

The ship thudded to a halt as it drove into the muddy shores of the river that cut through the abandoned panda village. Po vaulted over the side of the boat and landed with a splash in the damp moss that covered the old rice paddies. The rest of the crew dropped the gangplank and disembarked farther up shore. The thick, moist air pressed on Po from all sides, leaving a slick coat of dew on his fur.

"It's quiet here," a rabbit muttered.

"There is a spirit of sadness that lingers in this place," Master Shifu said quietly, tucking his hands into his sleeves. "Terrible things were done here."

Po closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of greenery and rain. Sadness, yes, but that wasn't the only thing there was. He waded up the hill, wondering if the Soothsayer were still there in one of the abandoned houses. At the top of the hill, his little doll caught his eye, sitting right where he had left it.

"Are you alright, Po?" Shifu had come up behind him and laid his hand on Po's arm gently.

"I'm fine, really," Po said with a smile. It was in this spot that he had first confronted the truth of his past. His emotions had been as raw and sharp as his injuries from the cannon shot. The sprout he had leaned the doll up against had grown by several inches. New leaves had unfurled and were reaching skyward. "You're right, Master Shifu, there is a lot of sadness here, but there's also life." Po gestured at the green land, which had once burned red with fire in his memories. Patches of moss stuck out of the decomposing beams of the houses and new shoots of bamboo lined the drier areas around the village.

This time, Shifu smiled back. Together, they stood in silence side by side as two people who had navigated the mire of grief and touched the shores of inner peace.

"I wonder if the Soothsayer is here," Po said, breaking his reverie and peering into the derelict houses.

"Oh yeah, the old goat who spoke in mumbo-jumbo," Wing said, though he was quickly hushed by Lien who was coiled around his shoulder.

"I think we're the only ones here," Master Shifu said. His ears twitched as he listened for any sign of life outside of the rescue party.

"Agh, really? She's gone now? Why couldn't she use her fortune-telling to see us coming?" Po said.

"And to that, I'm sure she'd say that she only sees the future and doesn't create it—something she only told us every five seconds when we last spoke to her," Wing said.

"Recall she was not part of our plan," Shifu said. "Are we done with the preparations?" he asked the rest of the crew who had been tending to the ship. They nodded their assent. "Good, then we shall waste no more time."

The group trudged up the muddy slope and followed Master Shifu through the village. Po let them hurry past, gazing back at the panda doll that sat in the grass before slowly turning away to join the others.

The streets of Gongmen City were quiet. A tension hung in the air like a taut string, and everyone crept along on the tips of their toes, every accidental sound strumming on their nerves like a dissonant note.

"Where is everyone?" Po whispered, and all his companions flinched at the sound of his voice breaking like a wave upon the silence.

"That is exactly what concerns me, and no doubt the rest of you as well," Master Shifu said. "Entering the city was no trouble whatsoever. Something is happening, and I have a feeling it isn't good. Perhaps this might explain the Soothsayer's absence in the village."

"What should we do then? Stick with the plan? If something is going wrong, I want to know what. Remember, Min is still in the heart of danger. I have to know if she's okay," Wing said harshly.

"So do I," Lien said.

"I understand, however we have to stay organized and not panic. Poor communication will get people killed, so make sure you stick to your job and don't try anything fancy," Shifu said. He pointed at the ox, a group of pigs, and a pair of rabbits who had volunteered ahead of time to take care of the fireworks factory. "Peng and Wing both know the way to the factory since they've scouted here before. The rest of you will follow them. Light that place up, but be careful. From what I know of gunpowder, there's no controlling its destructive force." Peng, one of the rabbits, nodded with a quiver of his nose, and Wing grimaced at having to separate, but nodded as well before parting ways.

"The rest of us will head over to the prison. Then, we wait for the diversion before breaking in. After that, we have to hurry out to the back gates. Only fight if your life is in danger. You know the plan," Shifu said. They hurried down the darkened alleyways under the cover of the night.

Po realized he had no idea how to get to the prison from where they were. _I did spend most of my time running around in a dragon costume and being rolled there in a barrel._ Perhaps it was a good thing after all that Master Shifu had sent out his scouts before making the attack. Otherwise, even with empty streets, they would have found themselves entirely lost.

Lien led the way, poking her tiny head around each corner before beckoning them forward with the tip of her tail. Finally, Po recognized the entrance to the prison. Wing had been right. Shen had really made a lot of improvements on the security since he was last there. The building had been structurally reinforced and crude watchtowers had been constructed all around it. Walkways extended across from tower to tower where wolves could walk along and have a bird's eye view as they patrolled—if there were any wolves at all. The place was utterly barren.

"Now I'm certain something isn't right," Shifu muttered. "Let's proceed with caution." He darted out from their cover and into the shadow of the watchtowers. The rest of the team followed, and Po attempted a diving roll across the lighted pathway.

Everyone cringed as his legs thudded against the door, his body wedged in the corner between the door and the ground.

"I guess I overestimated that," he said with a sheepish grin. He kicked off the door and flopped down onto his belly, hastily pushing himself up and pressing up against the stone wall with the others. Lien squeezed herself under the crevice, and Po prepared to knock the door off its hinges if he needed to.

The grass snake popped back out, her small frame quivering. "It's empty," she said.

"What?" Po shouted, unable to contain himself. "That's it," he muttered, and threw himself against the door which flung open and he spilled into the prison entryway. Sure enough, it was completely vacant. Po dashed around frantically. "How can the prison be empty? Where are my friends?"

"Time is now very much of the essence," Shifu said, drumming his fingers on his crossed arms. Po had never seen his master so distraught, even since Tai Lung's escape. "If we don't know where they are, everyone could be in danger."

"Should we wait until the others blow the factory?" one of their rabbit companions asked.

"I don't think so. We have to move now. Lien, can you think of any place the prisoners might have been relocated?" Shifu said.

Lien paused for a moment. "No," she began, but then her eyes widened, "Unless Shen moved them to the factory!" Everyone's jaw dropped.

"But if Shen's keeping them in the factory, there's no way our diversion will work at all!" Po said, wringing his hands.

"No time to lose," Shifu said, sprinting back out the door with everyone else close behind.

They charged down the alley, trying to make their way through the twisting pathways and jumping at their flickering shadows that ran beside them, long and distorted in the moonlight.

"Heads up guys!" Another teammate hissed, and everyone ducked back under cover at her warning.

Someone was approaching from the alleyway. The figure drew closer, but just as it was upon them, it stopped moving. Po felt his hands curl into fists, ready for a confrontation. Then they heard a light whistle.

"That's Wing," Lien said suddenly and slithered out into the light. "Wing what happened, what are you—" and then they heard the sound of explosions. Off in the distance fireworks rocketed into the sky, bursting with color. Everyone came out of hiding to see the rat, leaned up against the wall, panting.

Lien turned to look sharply at him. "Why did you come here? I was so worried that Shen had moved the prisoners to the factory. The prison was empty!"

"Oh no, it's much worse," Wing said through harsh breaths. "The factory is practically vacant too. We still blew it up with most of the cannons. Get your butts to the central plaza. Somehow Shen found out ahead of time that Po is alive and on his way. He's trying to execute all of the Kung Fu Masters! Now!" Wing shouted.

There was no time for speaking or shock. Po pushed everyone aside and charged up the alley. "Panda butt coming through!"

Wing sprinted after him, Lien coiled around his shoulders. "Too tired. Take Lien." Po reached his arm out, and Lien slithered up, and he suddenly thought of Viper and how if he didn't hurry, she and the rest of the Five would be…dead. The thought made him run harder than he ever had in his life. He could feel his breathing grow heavier, but he would run up and down the staircase to the Jade Palace a million times if he could only get there fast enough.

Master Shifu was right beside him in a flash as well. "It's just the three of us. The others aren't equipped for fighting and now a fight is inevitable."

"Oh, I welcome it," Po said, glaring hard ahead of him. He didn't give a rip if Shen had every unstoppable weapon in the universe, Po was still going to find a way to stop him.

Lien directed them through the twisting alleys, and Po and Shifu ran hard, no longer concerned with stealth in the deserted streets. The sound of pattering footfalls and shouts had them up against the walls again, crouching and ducking back in the darkness.

"Wolves!" Shifu said, his ears twitching.

The three of them were standing above the streets on the stone walls that lofted the buildings.

"Po, suck it in. Your stomach is casting a shadow," Lien whispered.

"I am sucking it in! This wall is too narrow for walking," he whispered back.

"Quiet, you two. Keep moving," Shifu said, and he started shuffling along the ledge.

Just then, the road below them filled with wolves hurrying in the direction of the fireworks factory. _Looks like the diversion worked,_ Po thought. But the wolves continued streaming through, and Po edged nervously after Shifu, hoping that they were running too fast to notice them. _Geez, is Shen sending the whole army?_

One of the wolves skidded to a halt getting pushed forward by the others behind him who slammed into his back.

"The hell is your problem?"

"Shut up! Do you smell that?"

Po held his breath and everyone froze as the wolves slowly began to stop and sniff at the air. _Don't look left. Don't look left._

"What do you smell, Han?"

"Something weird. It's like mud and…something foreign," the first wolf said.

Po saw Shifu start moving out of the corner of his eye, and he tried to follow, hoping the wolves would continue moving on.

"Hey you morons up in front! What's the hold up?" someone in the back shouted.

"We've got company here! Smell it!"

"Po, look out," Lien hissed into his ear, barely audible above the arguing of the wolves. Po glanced to his right and saw that there was a large potted plant sitting on the ledge. _Aw, come on._

Shifu leaped over it without a sound. Po, for his part, would have killed to be the size of Mantis at the moment. He picked it up cautiously, grimacing as it showered him with fine dirt from the bottom, and set it down carefully on his other side. Shifu beckoned for him to hurry along and he mouthed _I'm trying._

Po turned to continue shuffling along, but his arm clipped the pot and sent it tipping over the edge onto the head of the wolf right below him.

"Run!" Shifu ordered, and Po bolted, teetering on the edge of the wall. He could feel his weight tipping over into the road where the wolves were turning toward him and brandishing their weapons. Up ahead, the wall dropped down into the open road, and Po fixed his sight on it while watching the movements of his enemies through his peripheral vision.

"Oh forget it!" Po groaned as he felt himself beginning to fall. He pushed forward and leaped down into the pack of wolves, kicking them out of his way. They sprung on top of him, pulling at Lien and forcing him down. Po thrashed them off, holding a protective hand over the tiny grass snake clinging to his arm. Master Shifu had jumped into the fray, but the stream of wolves was slowly reversing itself and beating against them like a river on a dam.

"We've got to go, Po!" Lien hissed into his ear.

"I've got this," Shifu said, through gritted teeth. He whirled his staff around him, and Po watched in amazement, feeling the air start to whip around them as Shifu struck the nearest incoming wolves with such a force that the blow hummed in the air. The wolves tumbled back into each other in a wave. "Get going!" Shifu commanded.

"Right!" Po turned and hurried out into the open space, heading in the direction of the plaza while his master stayed behind against the platoon of soldiers to buy him time.

Lien guided him over the rooftops and onto the balconies to avoid the prowling wolves and gorillas that were growing numerous as they approached the plaza. They could hear the murmur of a large crowd, and Po hoped that he wasn't too late. Finally, they were close enough to peer over the peak of the roof and look down into the mass of people packed into the space. The rest of Shen's soldiers guarded the periphery, herding nervous people back into the crowd if they tried to get away.

Before them, the wreckage of the Tower loomed, a massive black silhouette against the night sky that glowed with torches. And lined up in the shadow of the wreck, wrapped in chains were the Kung Fu Masters. At the opposing end of the plaza, Po recognized the unmistakable form of Lord Shen.

The peacock stood atop a massive cannon that made up the center of a firing line—one cannon for each warrior. Next to him was that one-eyed wolf and the peahen who he just barely recognized.

"That's Min!" Lien squeaked. "By the gods, that's Min!"

"Don't worry, we'll save them all," Po promised her.

Shen was conferring with the wolf, and then he craned his neck up and began to speak. "People of Gongmen City," he said, his voice ringing across the plaza, "I stand before you with an old way of life one side of this plaza and a new way of life on the other. In the past decades, I fear China has come to a frightful standstill in its progress. I am here to change that. At the far end of this courtyard lie the old traditions that held us back. These are the select few that practice the ancient art of kung fu open only to those who were born physically strong. The strength of kung fu is limited to certain privileged individuals who were graced with the opportunity to become powerful. Those less fortunate are forced to place their lives and safety in the hands of these select few.

"But no longer! For I shall usher in a new era, one that does not depend on what species you are, or how you were born. Power is now free to anyone who has the will to take it. And what a power it is," Shen said, gesturing to the line of cannons. "Kung Fu has had its time. Tonight, you will watch its light be extinguished forever, and a new dawn shall rise from the ashes." He pivoted around, his tail swinging around him.

"And now, warriors," he drawled, "just look at you without your precious Dragon Warrior to lead you. I was content to let you rot in your despair, but I'll tell you why I think it's time for you to leave this world after all." Shen whipped his arm out and pointed down at Min. "It is her fault."

"What?" Lien breathed tightening her coils.

Shen continued, "She is a spy from a little uprising in the Valley of Peace. They thought to resist my rule, to oppose my new era. But she has betrayed you. She has betrayed all of you. She revealed herself to me. She sold you out for her personal gain, this peahen who shamed her family and who traded you for my offer to restore them to honor. You are losing your lives, because of her selfishness."

"No! Min would never, ever do that. I hate you! You're lying!" Lien was lashing around on Po's shoulders.

"Lien, stop! You're gonna choke me!" Po said, trying to pull her off. He placed her on the roof that they were watching from.

"You have to do something, Po!" she said.

"I know," Po said. But what? He closed his eyes, recalling the village where he had grown up. Shen was going on about something, but his voice began to fade as Po focused his mind on a solution. _Anything is possible when you have inner peace._ The wisdom of Master Shifu came back to him, as well as the voice of another.

_Yesterday is history._ The ripples in his mind began to settle and the truth he had been searching for came to him as clearly as his reflection on the shimmering Dragon Scroll. There was only one path for him. His parents had passed on, and he accepted that. Certainly, there might have been a time where he could have grown up with his true mother and father if it hadn't been for Shen.

_Tomorrow is a mystery._ The fact was, Shen did exist. He had taken his family. But he hadn't taken everything. Po had no idea how he was going to stop him. He had no idea whether or not he would succeed or fail in his attempt to save his friends, but the possibilities didn't matter. The possibilities, the odds, no matter how much they weren't in his favor, would not stop him from taking action. If he had learned anything in life, the last thing he was meant to do was bow down to the odds.

_Today is a gift. That is why they call it the present._ What could have been, what could possibly be, none of it mattered in comparison to what he had right now. All the ones he loved were in danger in that very moment, and there was nothing else to think about. Po set a questioning Lien down on the rafters and beckoned for her to stay put. He took a running start and leaped off the rooftops and into the center of the plaza. Po straightened himself up and stared down the barrels of the cannons aimed at his friends.

"Hey Shen, did ya miss me?"

"You…" Shen said, his eyes widening. "So it was true after all. You lived."

"It takes more than a cannon to stop me!" Po said, crouching down, ready for a fight.

"Po, you're alive?" he heard a quiet voice say behind him. He turned slightly, looking Tigress in the eye and smiled.

"You didn't think I forgot about you, did you?" he asked. Tigress returned the smile, and Po could see her inner fire lighting up in her eyes. All of his friends seemed to straighten a little more, even under the weight of their chains.

"No matter," Shen snarled, and he pulled a crank so that the cannon he stood on aimed straight at Po. "You can die for good, first of all!"

"Po! Get out of there!" Monkey shouted.

Time seemed to slow down, and Po turned back to face the cannons, and he looked at Shen, really tried to look at him. Po thought he should be angry at the peacock. He should hate him for all the things he did. But when Po looked at Shen and saw the desperation, fear, hate, insecurity, anger, and sadness all buried deep in the peacock's eyes, Po could only feel compassion. _Destruction is not what you need, Shen._

Po shifted his weight back, still watching Shen. He felt his mind start to float, and he felt his body follow the movements of the form he had been trying to recall for so long. He traced out a circle with his foot, sensing the flow of energy around him as though all separation in the universe had vanished, and he was merely a part of that great pool of matter. Shen shifted his weight back ever so slightly, and Po knew what was coming next and knew the last thing that needed to be done.

"I forgive you," Po murmured, just as the peacock flicked his talon and the spark lit beneath his feet.

There was a burst of light as the cannonball shot toward him, and Po reached out toward it. In that moment, there was nothing left in the world but that cannonball drifting toward him like a raindrop through the void. And then it made contact, searing hot and bright with life and flame, and Po spun around, guiding the energy, following its current around him and when it had made its full course, he let it disperse, sending the fiery cannonball flying backwards.

Po grinned at Shen who stared in horrified shock, and he beckoned with a flick of his wrist to bring it on. Then the cannonball he had just tossed crashed down through the roof of one of the houses, setting the roof on fire.

"Ooh…sorry about that," Po said with a grimace.

"KILL HIM!" Shen screamed, and the other cannons in the firing line turned to face him.

"Not today, Shen," Po muttered and turned toward Tigress who raised her handcuffs. He smashed through her bonds and in a chain of swift movements down the line of hostages, the Kung Fu Masters had broken free.

"Let's rock this town!" Po shouted, and with a shared grin with his friends, they charged forward to meet the chaos that charged toward them.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16.

_Shen._

_That's impossible._ Shen stared, beak agape at as the cannonball arced overhead, scarlet sparks showering down on them. Shen felt panic rising in his throat. He and everyone around him craned their necks back in disbelief. _No, no one could have ever done something like that. It defies nature itself!_

Shen turned with eyes bulging toward the panda standing in the center of the courtyard with a cheeky grin on his face. Then the panda reached his arm out and beckoned tauntingly. The cannonball that he had just sent flying crashed through the rooftops, cementing in Shen's mind that, impossible or not, the panda had really, irrefutably deflected a cannonball with his bare hands.

For a moment, he could feel his voice catching in his throat, as though a palpable, invisible fist was reaching in and stuffing the words back down. _He could never do something like that a second time, and never to all of the cannons at once._ Shen's beak twisted upward into a grin, and his command tore itself out of his mouth.

"KILL HIM!"

With a roving gaze, he watched each cannon in the firing line turn itself toward the panda. But the panda also turned, and Shen's grin fell from his face as the chains of the Kung Fu masters shattered along the line, and they began to charge.

"Fire! Fire! Fire! Reload my cannon, you idiot!" Shen ordered, whipping his head around to each of the wolves at the cannons who had apparently grown clumsy with their torches as the warriors quickly closed the distance between them.

When the first cannon of the volley fired, the panda stopped in his tracks and centered his footing. With the same whirling movement, he once again redirect the shot, and this time, instead of flinging it up into empty space, pivoted in a half-circle and flung the fizzing cannonball right back. The projectile slammed into the mouth of its own cannon, ripping the nozzle open in a fray of metal and tossing the gunners backward toward the audience. The other gunners hesitated for a moment.

"Keep firing!" Shen said, lighting his own reloaded cannon. "Fire at will! He can't block all of them at once."

A few other cannons discharged, but the targets were already moving too quickly and some shots burst against the broken walls around the Tower of Sacred Flames and against the houses surrounding the plaza while the panda continued to return the others. Splintering wood sprayed into the air, falling upon them in a rain of spears. The warriors were nearly upon them, and Shen reached his hands into his sleeves and flung six knives out, leaping off his cannon as he did so.

_Damn it all!_

It was the barbarian invasion all over again. The cannons could only hold up at a long range. How did the panda arrive so soon? Everything would have worked if it hadn't been for him.

Chaos fell upon them as the wolves abandoned their posts and drew their weapons to face the Kung Fu masters head on. Out of the corner of his eye, Shen could see the peahen trying to fade into the screaming mass of the crowd that was surging away from the destruction as the rest of the wolf army poured out from over the rooftops and into the plaza to join the fight.

"Not so fast, you," he said, stomping her foot to the ground and tripping her. She gasped in pain as she collapsed onto the chains that bound her wings to her body. "Lang!" Shen called, and the Wolf Boss appeared by his side.

"Take her away. Do not let her escape," Shen said, before letting go of the peahen's foot and sweeping away, back into the fray. From the depths of his robes, he unfolded his curving pole-arm, swiveling it in his right hand while he prepared another throwing knife in his left. Shen dove through the rush of wolves being tossed back and forth by the superior hand-to-hand skills of the Kung Fu warriors. He caught sight of the flashing black and white form in the crowd and charged toward it under the cover of the brawling crowd.

The panda was unsuspecting, and Shen raised his wing back to send the throwing knife right into the panda's back, when someone careened into him with the force of a falling ironwood tree. Shen pushed his attacker away with a hasty sweep of his train as he tumbled over himself, crashing backward into a cluster of wolves.

"Never! Not on my watch," the tigress spat, placing herself between Shen and the panda who had realized what was occurring behind him. The two stood back to back, covering each other's blind spot.

Shen hissed through a clenched beak, pushing himself back onto his feet and sizing up the situation. The houses around them were ablaze and crumbling from the rogue cannon shots, embers floating through the air like glowing snowflakes. The wolf pack and even the gorillas who had entered the fight were being tossed around by the combined strength of the warriors. Mentally, Shen cursed himself. If only he hadn't panicked at the sight of his factory going up in flames. His army was scattered across the rioting city, his arsenal was decimated, and he had failed to kill the panda…again. His grip on the pole-arm tightened until pain shot through the shafts of his feathered fingers. _How can everything fall apart like this? When everything was so perfect, how can it suddenly all fall apart?_

"Lord Shen! Look out!" one of his subordinates shouted, pointing a finger behind him.

Shen turned around and saw the red panda Shifu leap over the rooftops to join the fight. His broken army staggered around, unable to match the physical power of the warriors and unable to reach the cannons which were now strewn about the plaza, some upside-down and others wrenched entirely out of their wooden bases. Even Lang was nowhere in sight. Amidst the insanity, Shen stood alone.

Letting the suppressed scream finally erupt from his throat, Shen beat the ground with his train, lifting himself high into the air. He locked eyes with the tigress and the panda and flung his knives one by one at them.

They leaped to the side, but one of them found its mark in the panda's right leg. Shen screeched in triumph as the panda staggered to the ground, sliding just out of the way of the other knives.

"Po, get down!" the tigress said, shielding him with her body.

Shen charged them with his pole arm drawn. He swung out in a wide arc that the tigress bent over backward to avoid. She leaned back on her arm and kicked the blade up as she flipped over onto her feet. Using the momentum of the kick, Shen swung his leg around and whipped at her face with his tail.

The tigress blocked the blow and dug her claws into his feathers, yanking Shen backward as he tried to dance away to a safer distance, and he yelped in pain.

"Not so fast, peacock," she snarled, only to have to jump away again as he flipped his pole arm around and stabbed at her over his shoulder.

"Shen, it's over! Just stop already," the panda said, pushing himself unsteadily onto his feet. Another group of wolves piled onto the tigress all at once, and she bared her teeth as she slashed at their arms.

"It's not over until I say it is," Shen said. He felt his voice shaking, and he wondered if the panda heard him at all. He charged toward the panda who was limping from his injury, trying his hardest to push the wolves off of himself. The other masters were already making their way toward them to help. Then the tigress kicked one of her attackers in the stomach and sent him flying into Shen, and the two tumbled over in a heap.

"Get off of me!" Shen said. As he hurried to his feet, he caught sight of his original cannon. Lying at its feet was his rifle which he had brought along with him. He reached out with the pole arm and pulled it toward him and took aim at the panda.

"Stop him!" the tigress yelled to her companions, but Shen smiled. Thanks to the tigress knocking him away, he would have fired by the time they got to him. _If I go, you go, panda._

"Shen, hold it. Enough already."

Before him stood the wolf boss and the peahen who was free from her chains. Lang held his arms wide, blocking Shen's view of the panda. Shen lowered the weapon, his beak agape. Even the oncoming kung fu warriors stopped in their tracks, shocked. The fighting ceased almost immediately with the wolves all looking to their leader.

"What? What are you doing? I had him!" Shen said. "Why is she free?"

Lang's ears were drooped, but he did not move. Instead he reached a paw out to Shen cautiously. "I had to make a choice, Shen. Look around you." The wolf gestured at the burning houses and the unconscious bodies of his army covering the otherwise vacant streets.

"What about it?" Shen asked in a rasping voice. "You think I don't know this is lost?" he added so softly that only Lang's sharp ears could make it out. Lang was about to speak, when Shen continued, "I won't go out in shame. I am finishing what I started. I will kill that panda or die trying, and I will not let even you stand in my way, you two-faced, yellow-bellied traitorous mongrel!" He raised the rifle again, but this time leveled the barrel at Lang.

"Shen, wait a moment, try to think for a second," Lang said, holding both his arms out in front of him.

"Step aside and let me fire, but so help me, I will not go quietly. I will not stop this, madness or no!" Shen screamed. He could feel boiling tears running down his face. "Get out of the way, damn you! Obey your master and stand aside. Let me finish this!"

Lang's eyes widened at Shen's last command, but then his shoulders relaxed and he let his arms drop to his sides. The wolf looked at Shen directly and set his jaw as he shook his head. "No, Shen. Because you're not my master-"

Shen felt something snap inside him. _Can't go back, can't go back. It's done. I die alone._

Without further hesitation, he lit the fuse. In the moment of stillness, between the ignition of the gunpowder and the explosion of the bullet, Lang finished his sentence.

"—You're my friend."

But the rifle did not work as it had in all the previous shots. The battered, weakened iron split open with the detonation of the gunpowder, and the rifle exploded into his face.

Shen's world erupted in fire, and the last thing he heard was a scream.

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><p>C-c-cliffhanger? I'm a horrible person. But this chapter was meant to be a cliffhanger from the minute I started chapter one. It's summer now, and I write something every day, so I will work to get the final chapter out by next week. Send me your thoughts in PM or review form!<p> 


	17. Chapter 17

So people have recently been prodding me to finish this damn thing, so finally, I plopped down on my chair and wrote like hell.

To be honest, you can thank the dude who left the review of "Update man what the hell" because it made me laugh for a long time and then I finally said "All right, all right, I'll just do it." I didn't realize I was causing such great indignation with my idleness hehe.

* * *

><p>Chapter 17.<p>

_Min._

Her scream was instinctive. That's what she told herself. Yet somehow, when a burst of flame spat from the shattering rifle up into Shen's face, when Lang lurched backward as a fragment of the misfired shot slammed into his shoulder, Min could not help but feel like something fragile had disintegrated and slipped like dust through her fingers.

Shen collapsed to the ground like a wilting plant, seared feathers fluttering in the air as his face burned. Min felt a chill rattle through her at his complete silence—he hadn't cried out, even after the initial shock from the explosion. Without thinking, she rushed forward, not knowing who to help or what to do for either of them.

"Shen!" Lang said in a rasping voice, struggling to sit back up. He was clutching his left shoulder as he tottered onto his knees. Min put her wings around his torso and hoisted him up and forward, and together they made their way toward Shen lying unnervingly still, his white feathers stained by soot and burns. Lang scooped the limp figure in his arms and put his ear to Shen's chest. Min stood over them, vaguely aware of how still the world had gone around them.

"He's alive," Lang said quietly, and Min found herself able to breathe again.

"We need to get them to a healer," Po said, coming up from behind. Min felt her face scrunch at the sight of the blood running down his leg from the knife wound.

"We need to get you to a healer," Tigress said. She stood close to Po's side, ready to shoulder his weight in case his leg gave out.

"This whole street got cleared out in the fight," one of the healthier wolves said. "The best place we can go is our barracks. There'll be an infirmary there. The trouble is, it's not the closest place…"

Po straightened up and hobbled over to Lang. "We better get moving then," he said, a determined look crossing his face.

"Po, you can't seriously be trying to help," Tigress said sharply.

"I'm not going to let anyone die. I don't care who they are," Po said. Lang turned to look at him in shock. "I'm going to help everyone get to the barracks," Po said to the other Kung Fu warriors. "And I mean everyone, whether you like it or not, and if I have to carry people and hop all the way over there while doing it, I will." His face seemed to dare them to interfere with his compassion. And with that, the warriors relented all at once.

The stronger wolves put together makeshift stretchers and hurried off with Shen, Lang and everyone else in critical condition. Tigress helped Po down the street, the Kung Fu masters helped the other injured, and so the surreal procession moved down the street, enemies leaning on the shoulders of enemies. Min followed in a daze, only looking up at the sound of her name being screamed from the balcony of one of the houses.

"Min! Min! You're alright!" The tiny grass snake was barely visible from her place on the second story.

"Lien?" Min said, squinting up. Lien seemed as though she were about to launch herself off the railing and into the crowd. Min pushed her way to the edge, reaching up so that she could catch her friend.

Lien wrapped herself around Min's shoulders, nuzzling into her feathers. "I'm so glad you're alright." Then she looked up, confused. "But why do you look so worried about the peacock? He lied about you. I know he did. You would never betray us."

Min had never felt gladder to be able to say, "Yes, he lied," and be telling the absolute truth. Lien smiled with relief that her faith had been affirmed, but the confusion was still knit into her features.

"A lot has happened while I was a prisoner," Min said at last as she started to follow the crowd again. She sighed, staring with glazed eyes at the limp white figure on the stretcher far ahead of them, slowly being carried down the street. "It's very complicated. Please believe me when I say that I wouldn't be saying so unless I had good reasons for it."

Lien stared at her for a while, before she said, "I do believe you." The tears that Min had been holding back for a long time sprang from her eyes. She kept her eyes resolutely ahead and inwardly thanked Lien for her patience. Even if she tried, there were no words that could fully wrap themselves around everything she grieved for. _I am crying for everyone,_ she supposed at last._ The people of the city, Po and his village, Lang, Shen, myself. I am crying for years and years of things gone wrong._

Even when they reached the infirmary, Min had not stopped crying.

Wing found them later in the night, after the wolf army had been gathered up and the injured soldiers and civilians alike had been taken in for care. The three of them huddled together on a stack of scratchy blankets in a corner of the barracks that the remaining wolves converted into a full infirmary. The Soothsayer, too, had materialized out of nowhere, and set herself in charge of tending to Shen. Min wondered how much of this she had known would come to pass.

"What happens now?" Min murmured, resting her head on top of Wing's. Lien was sleeping, curled around Min's neck like a scarf. She felt Wing shrug.

"We go home. Things go back to normal," he said.

Min squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again. "Can they? Can they really go back to normal?"

Wing was quiet for a while. "Sounds like that's up to you, Min." He shifted his head to look up at her. "What did Shen do to you?" he asked finally.

Min sighed. She owed it to her friends to sift through her thoughts and explain exactly why she was suddenly so involved in the life of her enemy.

"He kept me prisoner in his mansion because I managed to trick him into believing I was someone influential who could potentially do damage to his power while his army was weakened by war. In the end, though, it turned out that the only reason I wasn't tossed in prison with the Furious Five was because he was trying to manipulate me the whole time. He threatened me often, sometimes hurt me," she said, thinking about how he had thrown the knife at her face that might have nearly killed her if she hadn't tried to dodge at all, how he had thrown her around in rage when he realized she had tricked him.

"He's messed up, and I now know better than a lot of people just how messed up he is." Min sighed. There were so many more words that needed saying.

"He's a complete psycho, Min. You don't have to beat around the bush about it," Wing said.

"See the thing is, it's complicated. It's not simple insanity at all. What he needs is help," Min said.

"Sure, okay, whatever. Maybe you're right, and someone can save him or something. But you owe him nothing. You do not have to give up anything, and you do not need to be the one to save him. Leave that to someone else."

"Yeah…"

"I'm serious. When this is over, you come home, we go back to the Valley of Peace and do what we were doing before everything got turned on its head. Forget about this place. Got it?" Wing said sternly. He slipped his head out from underneath her and grabbed her face between his paws and stared her in the eye. "Ya hear, Min? This is my serious face. Look at it. Look at how serious it is, and tell me you'll put this behind you."

Min laughed shakily, sniffling. "I'll try my best."

Wing pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows at her. "'You'll try.' Sheesh, I guess that's the best I can get out of you today."

Lien was already snoozing peacefully, and Wing and Min both fell into an even silence, vaguely aware of the bustling of nurses around them until the noises faded altogether into dark, dreamless sleep.

The sun had risen fully and bright morning light shone through the high windows. The hall was beginning to stir as both patients and caretakers alike began to awaken. Min sat up for a while, watching her friends fondly before reaching out to rouse them.

"What? Is it morning?" Wing mumbled, his voice raspy. Lien dangled on his shoulders, still resolutely asleep. "Cold-bloods," Wing muttered.

"There are boats leaving soon," Min said. "We should get ready to go home."

"Oh," Wing replied drowsily. "Good. Okay. Five more minutes, please." He drooped back down into the stack of blankets, burying his face in them to hide from the sun.

Min laughed. "I'll come back with some breakfast."

When Lien was finally warmed up, and they had fed themselves on some steamed rice, Min sought out Shifu while her friends prepared themselves to take the first ferry out of Gongmen.

"I wanted to assure you that Shen did not find out anything about the resistance from me. He must have had spies somewhere, because for a while I thought I had him distracted enough to buy you all time, so I promise that I was just as surprised when he revealed that he knew—"

Shifu raised his hands to stop the flurry of words that spilled from Min's beak.

"Do not worry Min. I believe you. It seems to me that there is more to you than you choose to let on, but I do not doubt your integrity or your loyalty," Shifu said.

"Oh." Min let out a shaky laugh. " Well, good."

Shifu looked up at her expectantly, as she made no move to leave. Min fiddled with the tips of her wing feathers.

"What's going to become of Shen?" she asked after an uncomfortably long pause.

Shifu frowned, the fur on his brow scrunching together. At once, he seemed distracted, folding his arms and staring fiercely at the ground. "I don't know yet."

Min nodded tacitly, and slowly began to head back to her friends, when Shifu spoke again, and she jolted back to attention.

"If he recovers, I will have to meet with the Masters' Council to decide his punishment. I may ask you to give testimony, if that is alright."

Min nodded again, wishing she had left without saying anything else.

"Thank you, Master Shifu," she said, with a hasty bow as she moved away, Shifu's last statement hanging like lead in the air.

The first thing Min noticed upon returning to the Valley was the smell—fresh green in the air, the brisk sea breeze, the soft musk of impending rain. It was clean and open.

"It smells like freedom," Min whispered, and Lien curled herself a little tighter around Min's shoulders, and Wing put a gentle paw on her arm.

"Welcome home, Min," Wing said. "Let's never go back to that city ever again."

The three made their way off the ferry, and Min immediately relished how empty the docks were compared to Gongmen. No bumping shoulders with anyone; no getting seafood shoved into her face by shouting salespeople…

"Yeah," Min replied to Wing. "Time to forget about that place." Wing nodded approvingly.

* * *

><p>The three retreated to their corner of the Valley, pleased to find it had been repaired somewhat since the wolves ransacked it the first time. Min's peace, however, lasted no more than a few weeks, when Crane landed at her door and notified her that Shen and the Wolf Boss had been transported to the Jade Palace where Shifu and the other Masters would hold trial.<p>

"Master Shifu strongly encourages you to be there. Your testimony will play an important role in the decision," Crane said, looking contrite. "If it's too traumatic for you, however…"

"I will be there," Min replied with a glazed expression. But her resolve was firm.

The trial was something of a nightmare for Min. She stood among a large pool of witnesses, amidst many unfamiliar faces who had come to give testimony from afar. And she could not forget the look of Shen, sitting hunched over in the center of the courtyard. Running up his entire right side was a grossly discolored burn scar, angry red in some places and pus yellow in others. His crest was in threads, and she was not sure he could even see out of his right eye. He had sat in silence, even through the time allotted for his own defense testimony, huddled in plain brown robes, stripped of any regalness he once had.

What impressed itself in Min's memory was the following discussion, when Shen was taken from the courtyard and Min discovered that she was to remain part of the decision-making process, with Shifu presiding as the judge. Execution was out of the question, most agreed, and most also agreed that life in prison was the most agreeable option.

It was then that Po had stood up.

"I don't think that would be a good idea. Prison won't do anything to help Shen. He would probably shrivel up and die in a day there. We need to come up with something different." Po stared firmly at Shifu. "Prison didn't do anything for Tai Lung except make him twenty years angrier. Exile made Shen thirty years crazier. Don't you think we should be doing better than that?"

Protests rose up almost immediately, when Min abruptly stood, silencing everyone by virtue of their surprise.

"I agree with Po." The others shared glances of confusion and shock.

Min cleared her throat and spoke in a shaky voice. "From my time spent as Shen's prisoner, I learned much about him. And he does need help. He has lived his life raging against the world, and that's something I can understand. His mind is in a terrible, terrible place, and it's going to stay there, stewing until it destroys him, unless someone intercedes. We all agreed execution is no good, but is letting him curl up inside himself and rot from the inside until he dies any more moral of an option?"

"How can you be so sure that he would reform?" someone shouted.

"Because I've seen it." Min's eyes burned when she remembered all their conversations. "He feels like he's gone too far to have a choice anymore. He's told me so. He believed for so long that the ends would justify any means he took to get there, but there are no ends. He believed that he was so far down the road that he had no choice but to keep going."

There were no protests this time, but Min could see the skepticism written on everyone's features. _Why am I fighting this fight? I don't owe Shen anything._ She glanced at Po. _But neither does he, and yet…_

Someone else stood up, and Min's eyes widened as she recognized Tigress.

"I have plenty of reasons to want Shen put away for the rest of his life," Tigress began. "Po has far more reasons to hate him, yet he finds it in himself to forgive. But I think understand where he speaks from, and where Min speaks from. The teachings of Kung Fu tell us not to bear grudges, for that becomes baggage for our own souls. That which was made wrong must be made right, not put away in the dark, or such things will return to haunt us." She, too, gave a meaningful look to Shifu, then continued with a deep sigh. "As angry as I am, and as much as I despise Shen for what he has done, his reign of terror is over. He can no longer do harm to those who I swore to protect, and therefore, I must learn to master my anger, hatred, and resentment and do what Po has been strong enough to do: offer a second chance."

The rest of the jury finally relented, much to Min's relief, and the rest of the debate was devoted to finding a more effective alternative.

Min excused herself soon after, leaving the reading of the verdict and the bureaucracy of the sentence to the masters. It was a long way to her end of the valley, but the walk helped her to burn the stress away. She returned to find that Wing and Lien had cooked her dinner and made seed cakes.

"So where did they end up putting him?" Wing asked with a mouthful of cake. They were sitting around a table playing cards, though not adhering very tightly to the rules.

"I think they're sending him to a remote monastery far off in the Dabie Mountains," Min said.

"Oh good. Far off, I like the sound of that," Wing said.

"Probably not far enough." Lien flicked her tail and one of the cards she was carefully holding fluttered out on top of the pile.

"Well, as long as we don't have to hear about it ever again. Right, Min? It's finally behind you." Wing waited for her answer.

Min shook off her daze. "Oh, yeah. Right." She pulled a card out of her hand and put it on top of Lien's.

"How are you doing? You've barely said a word all night," Lien said. She frowned in concern.

Min shook her head, but Lien leaned toward her and looked up into her face. "Min…" Lien prodded her shoulder persistently, and Min sighed.

"Not well, actually. I'm tired. I'm stressed. I feel restless, like there's something I need to do, but I'm forgetting what it is." Min slouched into her chair, staring at her cards.

"The trial probably brought back bad memories. These things will take time," Wing assured her.

"I don't feel like I have any time. I can't sit around and wait for things to get better. I don't want to!" She slapped the cards down on the table and rubbed her beak, eyes squeezed shut. "I don't want to wait and do _nothing_ like I'm helpless. For months, nothing was all I did!"

"But what can you do that you haven't already?" Lien asked. "You need to readjust to routine. It's like Wing said; it'll take time."

Min stood up, knocking her chair over. She wrung her ruffled feathers. "That's just not enough," she said, walking out of the room.

Her friends found her leaning against the wall in her room, with a bag of old souvenirs from long ago. Between Min's hands, she tossed a miniature puppet from the first performing troupe she had befriended.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout at you," she said quietly. "But I still can't settle."

"It's okay, Min. We're here to help," Lien said, curling up in Min's lap.

"You know, when we traveled, I never really saw anything." Min adjusted the sleeves on the puppet and put it back in the bag. She pulled out more memorabilia, cradling them in her hands.

"What are you talking about? You went everywhere. You must have seen a lot," Wing said, plopping down next to her.

"That's not what I mean. I already had expectations. I saw things the way I assumed I would see them. It was because of how I grew up. There was upper class and lower class. Vain people and honest people. Black and white. I was used to categorizing everyone as one thing or the other. It never occurred to me that people could be so…complicated."

Wing narrowed his eyes. "Min, what are you getting at?"

She sighed. "What I mean is that as bad as my imprisonment was, and as confused as I am right now, I learned important things about myself. I've been trying to avoid my past so much. You guys know. I hardly ever spoke about it. And all I've been doing is running away, but I can't do that anymore. That's what I mean. I never wanted to see people just as they were, so when I ran away from home and went traveling, I thought I was learning so much, but I was still categorizing. I was still seeing what I wanted to see, because I refused to confront the truth that life is way more complex than that. So just waiting and going back to what I had before? It still feels like running away, and I don't want to go back to that."

"Then, what do you want to do?" Lien asked.

Min pulled out one last souvenir from her bag. It was a missing person notice that was describing her. At first, she thought it was spite that made her hold on to it—that her family's desire to find her was too little, too late. Now, that interpretation seemed frail.

"I want to see the world as it was meant to be seen, and I need to face everything I had been running from. Otherwise, things will never go back to normal."

Her friends glanced over the paper she was holding, the edges crumpling in her grip.

Min carefully placed everything back in her bag. _I have to create my own future._

"It's time to start over," she said, eyes alight with determination. "From the very beginning." Min turned to her friends. "Are you with me?"

Lien and Wing gave her their cheesiest smirks. "To the very end," they said.


	18. Chapter 18

TW: Thoughts/references to suicide. Very vague references but still.

Oh look, bonus chapter. I never intended to write eighteen but I realized that I couldn't tie up loose ends with Shen through Min's perspective. Which is a huge duh in retrospect.

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><p>Chapter 18<p>

_Shen_

_Sit up,_ his mind told him. Mechanically, he felt his body obey his will. _Today is one of the good days, then,_ he noted. The rush of cold air on his neck as the blanket slid down his back nearly made him drop back onto the futon, but he remained upright. _Breathe in, breathe out_.

Shen sat, eyes still closed, breathing steadily and thinking of nothing else. It would have been easy to stay in bed for the rest of the day, and on some days he did, but both the abbot and the Soothsayer encouraged him to participate in the monastery routines. Not that he had anything better to do with his time anyway, and pretending to be involved at least gave him a vague sense of purpose, so long as he didn't bother to think too hard about it.

He hissed at the feeling of the cold wood under his feet as he stepped out of bed. Blue morning light filtered through the shoji doors. Far off, a gong sounded to rouse the rest of the temple.

The Soothsayer met him, as she did every morning after dawn meditations, to give him breakfast. Today it was rice and pickled plums.

"I'm glad you're eating today," she said softly.

"I went through the effort of waking up, so I may as well," Shen replied.

He kept himself angled toward the right, hiding the scarring that ran from his face all the way down to his shoulder and arm. The feathers had never grown back there, and his right eye had never opened again.

"I wish you wouldn't do that," the Soothsayer said, cupping his face so that he turned toward her, but he shrugged her off.

"Why would you want to see that?" he muttered.

"You should not be ashamed of scars. They mean you survived—that you are strong."

He rubbed his beak, an annoying habit he had picked up from the peahen. _Survived, maybe. But for what?_ He wasn't in the mood to discuss it with her. She would only give him that terrible, sorrowful look, and seeing that was far too visceral of an experience for his mental state to handle. _Why be so sorry for me? Why still care, even now, when none of it matters?_

"Lang is coming today," she tried. Shen only grunted, taking another bite of rice. She frowned at him. "And someone else."

That got his attention. "Who else?" he asked warily.

The Soothsayer smiled mysteriously, and returned the silent treatment. Dread filled his chest, clashing with the apathy. He hoped it would not be that panda or anyone remotely related to kung fu; otherwise, he could not have cared less. But to sit face to face with a looming shadow of his past made him want to crawl right back into bed and not wake up.

Lang always came at three o'clock sharp from the village, somehow arriving promptly on the hour with only his strange, innate sense of time to guide his schedule. So four minutes after three, Shen began to wonder if they weren't coming after all, and that thought filled him with a rush of relief. Fifteen minutes later, he left the guest room and wandered out into the hall. He stopped in his tracks.

Lang barreled toward him with his usual lack of subtlety, but Shen kept his eyes fixed on the guest who followed behind. _The panda doesn't seem like such a bad option anymore._

"Shen! Sorry we're late," Lang began.

"It was my fault. I couldn't climb the hill nearly as fast as Lang," said the peahen from over Lang's shoulder. The sound of her voice made him shudder. At least the panda would have only been annoying. But of course, of all the people in all the world, Lang would bring _her._

The dread had apparently found its way to his face, because Min smiled sheepishly.

"Lang, I don't think this was a good idea," she said.

"I never thought I would say this, but yes, the peahen is right. This is a terrible idea, whatever it is," Shen said, turning away to leave.

Lang touched his shoulder, and Shen paused. "Wait, Shen, can't we just talk?"

"About what?" Shen felt a wave of exhaustion settle in.

"About how it's been two years, and you've been closing off to the world more and more. That defeats the point of you being here!" Lang said.

"Might I remind you I never asked them to let me live," Shen said coldly, pushing Lang away. Lang recoiled, ears folding back.

"Do you not want to?" Min asked quietly.

Shen was silent for a while. "I don't know," he said at last.

"We don't have to talk, if you don't want to. But I think you should have company." Min gestured to the garden outside. "Are we allowed to sit out there?"

Shen nodded and led them out along the path laden with smooth white pebbles. Small pine trees bordered the path and larger blossom trees shaded them with their cool green summer foliage. Admittedly, Shen did like coming out into the gardens around the temple. There were subtle changes each day, whether it was the placement of leaf litter on the ground or the repositioning of pebbles and rocks, and these and the rest of the scenery were welcome distractions from the empty space of the temple rooms where his dark, jumbled thoughts threatened to swallow him.

He could tell Lang was having trouble being completely quiet, but Min would elbow him occasionally to remind him to be patient. Shen found himself growing curious, however, and debated breaking the silence to ask why she appeared out of the blue and moreover, why she appeared to be trying to help him. She could have vanished completely from his life, but she had chosen to return, and he hoped the reason was not pity, because he thought he might throw up if that were the case.

Shen examined her face, watched her settle on a stone bench, and found her face devoid of pity or anguish for him. _If she tried to lie to me now, I think she would be quite convincing, _he mused, observing her composure. And to his chagrin, his curiosity grew.

"Why?" he asked finally. He didn't feel like clarifying. In fact, the vagueness offered a potential escape from further interaction. Shen was still deciding which outcome he preferred, when she answered.

"Because Lang asked, firstly, and secondly, because I wanted to come. If he had asked immediately after our…conflict, I would have said no. But now that I've gotten to a better place, now that I feel I can see the truth of things and of myself, I felt that to refuse him would be to leave threads untied. I felt that I had made a commitment back then, in an odd sort of way. I'm not here to be a savior or to fix you, but I am here to help," Min said, twirling a fallen maple leaf in her fingers.

"How could you possibly help?" Shen walked past her into the shade of a tree.

She laughed softly. "I'm not sure myself, to be honest. Most likely, there isn't much I _can_ do." Her gaze became distant in recollection, but the faint smile remained on her face. "I've learned that change has to come from the inside. It has to be from you."

_But what's the point?_ Shen asked silently. It was what he had given up trying to explain months ago. There was no point. He had made his choices, and these were his consequences. There was nothing more to it.

"I went back home, a while back," she went on. "To see my family again. I was surprised they recognized me. I found out they searched for me for a long time, but eventually, they thought I must be dead."

Shen stared at the ground, eyes following the abstract patterns in the pebbles. "You went back?"

"I realized I was hiding from my past, and that was holding me back. Meeting you, in a strange way, forced me to confront it. My family has changed little. My parents are still quite insufferable, but…" She paused and looked at Shen, weighing her words. "In their own way, they cared about me. And my sister, I think she was the happiest to see me. Even if they hated me, or didn't believe that it was really me, I would still be glad I returned. It gave closure to an old story that I had buried away inside. I could start over, and I did. It was a new beginning. I allowed myself to be free. I know if I weren't as settled with who I am, my friends would definitely have tied me to the bed and never let me come here."

"New beginnings," Shen repeated. "Yes, that's one I hear a lot. Did the Soothsayer tell you to say that?"

"Not exactly. She only mentioned that to me a while back."

"Beginning of what? Freedom is not exactly a choice I have," Shen said.

"Maybe not physically. But you always have a choice," Min replied.

"Lecturing, as always," he muttered, and she laughed at that.

"Sorry, but you know I'm prone to frankness," she said, smothering her laughs with a wing.

Shen scoffed. "Only too well."

"See that's why I brought her here," Lang interjected. "Min knows how to make you think about things. I can't do that for you."

"I try to avoid thinking about things as much as possible these days," Shen said.

Lang stood in front of Shen. "But that's no good. You were always thinking about things. You never stopped talking about what you were thinking. Now you're just…not. It's like you're slowly vanishing. I'm trying to stop that, you know. I don't want you to disappear!" Lang's breathing shuddered after his outburst. Shen stood rigid in his spot.

"I want to fix this. I want to make it better. I've been at your side for your entire life, practically. This hurts me too." Lang rubbed the shoulder that had been injured by Shen's ruptured rifle, and Shen recalled that night when everything went up in flames. _Because you're my friend_.

"I'm trying everything, but you won't talk. I can tell I'm doing everything wrong but you just won't talk to me, so I don't know what to do," Lang said.

Shen's shoulders sagged. "I'm sorry, Lang. Neither do I."

Min broke the silence. "It won't be easy. And it will take a long time. But you aren't alone. You never were."

"I just…" Shen let out a shaky breath, squeezing his eyes shut. "I don't see a point."

"That's the hard part. You can't really look for it. You have to decide that for yourself." Min got up from the bench and walked over to where he and Lang stood. "Day by day," she said.

"Please, just try, Shen," Lang said. "We can do it together."

Shen let his eyes crack open, and he stared at his loyal companion in exhaustion. "Like old times?"

Lang nodded with a sad smile. "Yeah."

Shen's neck craned from fatigue. "Fine," he sighed. "For you, I will try."

* * *

><p>Min had been right again. It was not easy. It was the polar opposite of easy. Waking up and remembering to breathe and eat had been hard enough, but trying to reengage with a world he had long since given up? It felt like ripping skin off. <em>Not that I don't know what that feels like<em>, he thought, running a hand down his scars.

Still, it was feeling _something_, he thought, as he twirled a staff in the temple dojo. The monks obviously wouldn't let him around anything sharp, but martial arts were an excellent form of meditation, so they allowed him to practice with something more blunt. Min was adamant that he take up some sort of activity to occupy his mind, and Lang had reminded him of his tendency to train away his frustrations, so this seemed as good an option as any.

His sparring partner struggled to keep up, and Shen vaguely realized he hadn't lost form. His partner's staff clattered to the floor for perhaps the fifteenth time, and Shen watched as the young fox persistently picked it up with the same stoic determination to improve as the first time. Persistence—that's what it was about. On the twentieth bout, the fox finally disarmed him, whiskers twitching in quiet triumph that he did his best to smother. Eventually, there would be a breakthrough. That's what Shen had to hope. In any case, he still had a promise to keep.

* * *

><p>"I think what was most fascinating about India is how many peafowl there were, and of all sorts." Min was telling another one of her travel stories. She journeyed far out of the Valley of Peace once a month or so to visit. Apparently her friends had finally come to terms with the fact that she was helping him move forward.<p>

She continued, "There were so many different animals there who I had never seen before. I liked to listen to their stories."

"We were in India too for a while," Lang said, referring to their long exile. "I remember it being hot."

Min laughed. "That can't be the only thing you remember!"

"I don't remember much either, to be honest. I was so fixated on my goal," Shen said. The three of them sat in their favorite spot in the garden.

"That's kind of sad. It's a beautiful place," Min said.

"Then say more," Shen replied.

So she continued. Most of her stories involved the lives of other people she had met, and though few were fraught with drama, they still fascinated Shen. If he wanted drama, all he had to do was reminisce. People living normal lives were most appealing to him.

The Soothsayer later joined them, bringing a tray of tea and rice cakes, and sitting on the bench beside them. The stars were coming out, so they lit the garden lanterns and refused to retire indoors, even as the air grew chillier.

Shen gazed upward as the laughter of his companions floated through the air. _All my life I've been searching outside of myself for purpose. It's no wonder I never found it._ He still had no idea what that purpose was, but he had made a promise that he would try his best to find it.

There were always bad days, but there were also good days too, and on neither was he ever alone. His companions—no, his friends—were now looking at him with concern and asking him if he was all right. Shen shook himself out of his daydreaming. _I am not alone_, he thought, and for the first time in a long time, Shen smiled.

* * *

><p>So there you have it! It's finally done. Phew!<p>

Ultimately, my hope with these last two chapters was to a) Give Min a chance to separate from her trauma and have the space and time to come to terms with herself first before she tries to help anyone and b) Have Shen end up in a place not of complete healing but of acceptance that it's worth a shot to try.

I really hope I treated depression and trauma as respectfully as possible.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with how this story developed. It was quite an adventure. I'll try to be more diligent in the future...Thanks everyone!

**Edit (8/19/13): Oh god I'm sorry, I think I've confused some people. This was the concluding chapter actually. I have a couple of bonus/deleted scenes to add, which is why the story is not marked as Complete in the archives, but the main storyline is finished. Shsdafjdklg I probably shouldn't have updated when I was sleep deprived. Sorry!**

**Another note, I guess: I may or may not write a follow up collection of one-shots/drabbles about life after MoBaW. Depends on my motivation and you guys' demand.**


	19. Bonus Content

Here is some bonus content I thought I'd add. The first is a conversation between Min and the Soothsayer that I cut from chapter 17 because it was screwing up the pacing. The second is Min's homecoming and what that was like. Now this thing is officially complete and closed! Thanks for everyone who read! Hope you all enjoyed!

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><p><strong>Deleted Scene: The Soothsayer still talks in riddles<strong>

Blue predawn light glowed from the windows of the barracks when Min awoke. A few nurses still moved about here and there, but the space was largely still. She could see, toward the front of the hall, the dim candlelight where the Soothsayer sat beside Shen's bed. Min carefully unwound Lien from her shoulders and placed her on top of Wing who stirred slightly but remained asleep, and she made her way through the maze of stretchers and beds.

The Soothsayer turned to look when Min came and sat beside her, and Min took a moment to survey the damage.

Shen's entire neck and face were wrapped in bandages, but she could see where the blood was seeping through. The rise and fall of his chest was barely noticeable in the flickering candlelight that clamored against the blue of the morning.

"Is this what you meant? When you said he would pay for what he has done?" she asked quietly.

Shen broke into shudders and gave a low groan of pain, and the Soothsayer reached forward and rubbed his bare arm to soothe him. She looked at him as though he were a child, and Min wondered about their history together. Lang had mentioned that the Soothsayer had been in charge of raising Shen, but Min had no idea of the details of that relationship.

"No," the goat replied. "This is only the beginning of his trials." When Shen settled down into calmness again, she leaned back in her chair. "And yet it is a beginning nonetheless. He has needed a new beginning for a long time."

Min sat in silence next to the Soothsayer watching the candles flicker in the light breeze that swept through the cracked door of the barracks.

"I've been thinking," Min said at last, "I've been in need of a new beginning too."

The Soothsayer inclined her head to look at the bed next to Shen's where Lang lay snoring softly. "You have incited a great shift in their lives. And they have done the same for yours. So what will you do now?"

"That question keeps coming up. But I don't know." Min sighed. She could barely sort out her thoughts. Did they all really expect her to just get over what had happened?

"Do you remember what I told you when you first arrived on the shores of the village?"

"Not really. Something rather vague about the future, but I didn't really understand."

The goat leaned back in her chair, folding her hooves across her chest. "The future is not a rigid body. My prophecies are not the same as destiny nor are they the absolute truth. Different paths lead to different destinations. Shen chose his path the very night that he overheard my prophecy and took it in such a literal way, as though I was speaking only of appearance when I envisioned the warrior of black and white."

"But he did turn out to be literally black and white," Min said, frowning.

"And that was Shen's doing. Without the events he himself set in motion, do you think Po would have ended up in the Valley of Peace, where he would meet the ones who would train him?"

"Even so, I don't see how that could have been avoided. How else would anyone interpret the prophecy?"

The Soothsayer chuckled, her eyes twinkling just a little when she glanced at Min. "I can imagine those exact words coming from his mouth," she said, gesturing to Shen.

"I'm only trying to be logical." Min pursed her beak at the idea of being compared to Shen, but relaxed again, because in hindsight, the Soothsayer was probably right. Shen himself accused her of being "not so different."

"I foretold that if Shen continued on his path, he would be defeated—_if_. And he did continue. And he was defeated." The Soothsayer peered at Min through her small round spectacles as she spoke.

"Well, maybe that was not what he needed. I mean, he believed that his parents didn't love him. He spent practically his entire life trying to win their love, and it doesn't sound like he ever believed that they did." Min said. She wondered how differently her life could have turned out to be if things had been slightly different. If she had taken all her bitterness toward her family and found a different outlet for it, if she had been given the same power that he had to create destruction, would she have used it? If the traveling performers she'd met so long ago hadn't lit a spark of productive inspiration instead of destructive, where would she have been? _Trapped in despair, probably, and blaming the rest of the world for my problems._

"He needed affirmation," Min said, the realization falling into place all at once. "He needed to know who he was, and he never found that key ingredient. The only thing that could come from that is chaos."

The Soothsayer turned her sad gaze back to Shen. "He was such a quiet child. And so obedient and sweet. Who could have known of the storm raging in this mind?"

"Who indeed? But maybe, they would have seen it if they cared enough to look." Min didn't mean for it to come out harshly.

"It seems to me as though you have been in a similar place," the Soothsayer said, finally. "You know what it is like to have been overlooked and to have only yourself to rely on."

Min could find nothing to say to that.

* * *

><p><strong>Bonus Feature: Homecoming<strong>

Min inhaled deeply, taking in the earthy scent of the Gou City streets. There on the outskirts, the roads were unpaved, and commoners trudged through the mud left after recent rains. Lien tightened around Min's shoulder.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" she asked.

Min reached up and brushed Lien's scales lightly in reassurance. "It's now or never."

They stayed over at an inn for the night to prepare for their venture into the privileged districts. Mostly, the respite was for Min.

"It's not a problem for us to go with you. I don't care if we get whispered about because we're not dressed up," Wing said, fussing with his whiskers. "As long as you need us, we'll be there."

Min shook her head. "No. It's fine. Like I said, this has to be something I face by myself. It is my past, and I should be the one to deal with it."

"Okay, as long as that's your decision alone."

"It is." Min sorted through her bag of memories again, staring at the Missing Person notice. She had left on her own. She would return on her own. Somehow, she didn't feel there would be proper closure any other way.

Even dressed up in the best clothes she had, Min could still feel every eye turned on her as she walked through the mansions of the upper districts. _I hope they haven't suddenly decided to move house,_ she thought distractedly. Her memory served her well, however, and soon she stood before a too-familiar great house.

The autumn colors were out in the front garden and the entryway was adorned with red and gold banners for luck. Min took another deep breath as she stood before the large wooden door, then rang the bell at the side.

A panel opened, allowing a pair of eyes to peer out at her. "Who are you?"

Min straightened herself, recalling years of practice from her childhood. "Xiang Min, first daughter of Lord Xiang Kuai and Lady Xiang Yin. I require audience with the Lord and Lady."

The eyes scrunched in confusion. "Lady Min has been missing for years now. Why would I believe you? You might be an imposter."

"And what purpose would that serve? Must I go through all of my childhood memories of this place to convince you? At the very least, you would do well to bring me in so that someone older might recognize me. If I am speaking the truth, it would be rather poor form of you to have kept me waiting outside, talking to a pair of eyes," she said, looking down her beak as much as possible. The servant's eyes shifted in confusion, and murmuring could be heard from behind the door.

The doors creaked open and two servant pheasants gestured for her to enter. They led Min into the entry hall where she settled on a lounge chair.

"The lord and lady are busy. You must wait here, and then we will decide what to do with you," the senior servant told her.

_Stuffy as ever, _Min thought, rolling her eyes when the pheasants had left. _And they certainly don't believe me. Hopefully that doesn't prove to be too much of an obstacle…_

The minutes crept by, and Min wondered what her parents could possibly be so busy with. It occurred to her that the servants might be stalling until they could figure out how to get rid of her. She stood and wandered into the hall. No sense abiding by the house rules all of a sudden when she never had before.

The rooms and décor all looked different, but the structure of the house was the same as she remembered, so Min let her feet carry her. The main halls were empty. Servants had other corridors to use to avoid getting in the way of the family and their guests while they went about their work. She gazed vacantly at the ornate vases and tapestries that lined the halls, smirking to herself. It all screamed Gaudy Peafowl.

"Shouldn't you be working?" someone said, and Min turned sharply to see who it was.

The peahen who stood before her craned her neck and peered closely at her. "Just a moment…I know you," she murmured.

"Mei." A small smile crept onto Min's face, despite herself. "It's been a while."

At that, the younger peahen's eyes widened, and she hurried forward, all the while, staring incredulously at Min.

"It—it is you! It is you!" Mei cried, nearly leaping into the air. Her shining burgundy robes fluttered about her in her excitement. "Min! You're alive!"

"Yes, I—" The rest of Min's words never made it out of her beak as her sister threw her arms around her in a rather un-noble fashion.

Finally, Mei released her from the embrace but still clutched her shoulders. "I cannot believe it. We all thought you were dead. We looked everywhere. What happened to you?" Her sister's wonder turned into a glare. "Why did you do something like that? We were worried sick!"

Min stared in shock for second. "I'll be honest. At the time, I didn't think I'd be missed."

This earned her a light smack on the shoulder. "What would make you think such a thing? Did you truly think we cared so little for you?" Mei's glare faded into a frown. "Did you?"

Min averted her gaze and rubbed her beak. "At the time," she repeated, and Mei drew back. "But things are different now. I can see that already. That's why I came back."

Mei led her down the hall. "We must find Mother and Father. They must know you have returned to us."

"Aren't they busy? That's what the servants said."

Her sister sniffed in amusement. "Only with lunch."

"I remember you would frustrate us," Mei continued, "because of how different you were. And so stubborn too." A smile flickered onto her face before falling into solemnity. "We never thought to ask what you felt."

"Both sides could have done a better job of things," Min said. "I wasn't exactly understanding either."

"Even so, I had not realized how simple it is to forget what is important. You only realize it when it's absent, seemingly for good. I've heard so many people say so and read the same in many books, but…I never thought it might apply to me."

They approached the old dining room, where the lord and lady took their meals. A golden pheasant servant stood outside the door.

"Lady Mei," he said with a bow. He glanced up at Min suspiciously.

"This is my sister, Min, returned to us at long last," Mei said imperiously. "You will treat her with due respect."

Confused, the servant nodded. "Yes, my ladies," he said with a bow, and he opened the door.

Min paused briefly in the threshold, but Mei pulled her forward by the arm. The sight of her mother and father made her throat tighten.

"Mother, Father, look who has come!" Mei announced, tugging Min along.

"I hope they are important for you to interrupt our meal," her father said. Min rolled her eyes briefly. He looked up to see who had entered and froze in alarm, then craned forward, peering at Min. Her mother followed his gaze and likewise stiffened.

"Can that be?" Lord Kuai murmured, getting to his feet.

Min attempted to sigh out her anxiety. "Mother, Father, I'm back."

"Min?" her mother tried, as though worried she might embarrass herself by using the wrong name.

With a glance back to her sister, Min stepped farther into the room and nodded. "It's me."

At those words, her parents rushed forward, and she felt her body tense. Lady Yin clasped Min's hands and examined her face closely. "It really is," she said.

"You've been alive all this time?" her father asked. "Why did you abandon the family? Why did you leave us?"

Min winced at the word choice and sighed again. "I was at odds with what you wanted of me. I felt stifled and unaccepted. I was young and impulsive, and I felt at the time was to leave my past behind me and become who I really wanted to be."

"But now you've returned." Her mother reached up to touch her face, making Min's feathers ruffle in embarrassment. It was odd to have her mother doting on her now.

Lord Kuai seemed less pleased. "We mourned you. We all thought you had died—"

"Do you prefer that?" Min interrupted, more sharply than she intended.

Her father lurched back in shock. Mei stepped in. "No, never that. But you caused us great strife, disappearing the way you did. Father's anger comes from that grief."

"I know." Min averted her gaze. "That was the reason I came back—to say that I'm sorry for leaving you without a word." She ran through her memories, reiterating yet again the reason she chose to return. Confidence began to return to her, and she stood taller. "I wasn't sure how I'd be received. But I knew whether you cared or not, I had to come back and settle everything. Whether you cared or not, I wanted you to know I'm alive and thriving. I had been running from my past for so long, and now I've come back to fully come to terms with it." A smile crept onto her face. "I'm happy that you did care after all. And I'm sorry I hurt you by leaving."

"Then, does that mean you are here to stay?" her father asked in a low voice.

Min shook her head. "This is no longer my home. My path in this world is different from yours. I've met good people along the way, and my place is with them now. I'll be leaving soon again."

Mei touched her wing. "So soon?"

"Not immediately, if you prefer. But I have friends who are waiting for me, so I can't stay long."

"You're not planning to stay at an inn in the city are you?" Her mother ruffled indignantly. "At least stay the night."

Min could not help but laugh. "There's nothing wrong with the inns. But I will stay the night."

"If you are going to frequent the inns, please let it not be known that you are one of the Xiang," Lord Kuai said.

"You couldn't possibly stop me," Min said, rolling her eyes and laughing at the appalled expression on her father's face.

He regained composure and sniffed loftily. "I suppose they wouldn't believe you in any case. Your clothes and accent would fit right in with that lot."

"Father!" Mei chided, then looked apologetically at Min. "Although, he is right. You sound so funny!"

"And despite claiming you missed me, I see that not much has changed in terms of your approval!" But Min smiled when she said it. Somehow, that made everything seem more right in the end.


End file.
